


Angels Among Us

by dragonbornette



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angels, Angst, Blowjobs, Chocobros - Freeform, Everybody is Horny, Gladnis, IgNoct, Kind of canon divergent, Lots of Sex, M/M, Multi, OT4, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Voyeurism, Wingplay?, a character gets hurt but i can't say more without spoilers, promptio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-02 08:10:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18807178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonbornette/pseuds/dragonbornette
Summary: Gladio and Ignis have been tasked with a very important job: protecting the Prince of Lucis and his best friend, Prompto. Sent by Bahamut himself, the two Guardian Angels find their job growing increasingly difficult when they each find themselves falling for the ones they're supposed to be protecting.





	1. Prologue

The air was cold, fog hanging heavy in the early morning light. It choked the pathways surrounding the apartment complex where a tall, solid figure stood waiting. Amber eyes drifted over the area with mild disinterest, taking in the sights as the big man settled back against the nearest wall of the building. With a sigh, he crossed his thick, tattooed arms and gently let his head drop back.

“Must you always be so impatient?”

A dark eyebrow arched as the big man glanced around to try and find the source, but upon failing, he rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“They take for-freakin’-ever and you know it,” he muttered in reply.

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, the front doors to the apartment complex opened and two slim figures exited. Both young men held their phones close to their faces, locked in a fierce round of _King’s Knight_ as they made their way down the sidewalk.

The early morning fog swallowed them up as Gladio picked himself up off the wall and began trailing behind them. He drew up behind the dark-haired man, eyebrow still raised as the blond let out a whoop of excitement and grinned at his friend.

“High score!” he exclaimed with a laugh as the other’s head dropped in shame. “That’s three lunches you owe me now, Noct.”

“Ughhhh, _Prom_ ,” Noctis groaned before lifting his head to look at the blond. “Can I just take you to a buffet and call it even?”

“No way, dude! Three. _Whole_. Meals.” His grin remained on his pale freckled face. “Burgers, fish, pizza. Not all at once though.”

A scoff sounded from off to Gladio’s side and he glanced over as a slim man appeared at his side. “Such terrible diets,” he admonished with a shake of his head.

Gladio let out a soft laugh of agreement as they approached the street corner. He took the time to glance both ways, but Noctis didn’t and neither did the blond at his side.

Another round of _King’s Knight_ stole their attention as they each stepped off the curb just as a car crossed the intersection – and rightfully so – heading right at them. The fog was too thick for the driver to see the two, but Gladio caught sight of the headlights just in time and reached for Noctis’s collar.

His fair-haired friend was gentler with his obstruction as he slid in front of Prompto and gently placed his hands on the young man’s shoulders. Both youths gasped as the car flew past them with inches to spare, Noctis grabbing at his collar in surprise as he looked around in confusion.

“What the…” he breathed as he met Prompto’s equally-as-wide gaze. “Are you okay?”

Prompto managed a weak nod and stepped back up onto the curb, pocketing his phone as his other hand went to his chest. “My heart’s pounding, dude,” he said after a thick swallow. “That was close.”

Noctis was still fidgeting with his collar as he mimicked the blond’s action by putting his phone away. “Yeah,” he agreed, glancing around one more time before they quickly crossed the street.

The two tall men remained behind watching before Gladio slapped a hand to his face and shook his head. “ _Six_ , Iggy, I had no idea these two would be such a freakin’ full-time job.”

Ignis inclined his head toward Gladio with a small smile on his face. “I suppose it’s becoming clearer why we were chosen to protect them,” he offered as he adjusted the gloves on each hand before he shrugged his shoulders and a pair of brilliant white wings burst from his back.

Gladio frowned, watching as the other man leaped into the air with graceful ease. With a shrug of his own shoulders, black wings appeared and he leaped after his companion into the sky.


	2. How It Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio and Ignis receive the official command from Bahamut.  
> and everyone's a little horny in this chapter.

_A month ago.._

 

 

~*~

 

When the coolness of the berry touched his lips, Gladiolus cracked an eye open just as Ignis slid onto his lap, the hint of a smile curling the edges of his mouth. Gladio couldn’t help returning it as he parted his lips and took the proffered fruit into his mouth. Their gazes met as he tasted the sweet berry before Gladio lifted one hand and cuffed the back of Ignis’s neck gently to bring the man forward into a warm kiss.

Once again, he parted his lips but this time to taste Ignis, to let the other man taste him and the remnants of the berry and its juice. Ignis let out a soft hum of approval and pressed closer as their kiss deepened, gloveless hands caressing the sides of Gladio’s face before he pulled back with a soft sigh.

“How’d ya find me?” Gladio murmured, eyes sliding open to regard Ignis. He was entirely too beautiful to deal with this close, but Gladio was willing to take that sacrifice.

“You ask that as if you aren’t one of the most predictable people I have ever known,” Ignis answered with an air of indignance that had Gladio smirking. He watched as the other man glanced to the side and then reached for something, sitting back up with a book in his hand. “You came here to read.”

“Or I pretended to come here, knowing you’d follow with snacks,” the big man protested, settling his hands on Ignis’s slim hips. “You fell into my trap and now you’re mine.”

Ignis glanced down at the hands on his hips before tossing Gladio’s book gently onto the grass and leaning back in for another kiss. “I have always been yours,” he whispered far more seriously than the situation warranted, but it still turned Gladio on.

With his hands still on the other’s hips, Gladio pushed his own up against Ignis as he tugged the other man forward, and a duet of pleasured sighs escaped their lips. He leaned up and kissed Ignis hungrily, tasting all of him as they moved together and growling once he felt those deft fingers working his trousers with expert precision.

Just as Ignis slipped a hand inside, a voice spoke:

 

**-come-**

 

Gasping, Gladio and Ignis jerked apart, gazes locked on each other in stunned surprise.

“Did you just…”

“Did he…?”

“He _summoned_ us?”

With a chuckle, Ignis nodded and fixed Gladio’s trousers with a soft kiss to the other man’s lips. He reached for his glasses, which he’d left in the basket with the rest of the berries, and rose to his feet as he placed them on his face. He smiled down at Gladio and offered a hand to the other man, helping him to his feet.

“What do you think it’s about it?” Gladio asked, a nervous lilt in his voice that earned him a raised brow from Ignis.

The fair-haired man reached for the other’s face again, thumb stroking reassuringly. “Why don’t we go and find out?” he asked with a shrug of his shoulders. A pair of brilliant white wings exploded softly from his back, stretching wide behind him as he smiled at Gladio.

“Yeah, yeah…” Gladio shrugged his shoulders and his own wings appeared, black and sleek.

Ignis leaped into the sky first, spiraling away from the ground as he soared into the air. Gladio chased after him into a grouping of clouds that swallowed them whole and refused to spit them out.

The first time they’d ever been summoned and they’d flown into the clouds like they had just now, Gladio almost panicked. They were lost in a sea of white and if it weren’t for gravity, the big man would’ve lost all sense of what was up and down – all sense of direction vanished until the giant figure encased in Draconian armor with bladed wings spread wide appeared.

And there He was – Bahamut – coming into view through the thick of the clouds like He was the only solid thing left in the universe.

Gladio took Ignis’s lead and came to a stop beside him. The clouds solidified beneath their feet and became a sturdy surface to land on. Immediately, they both dropped to one knee and bowed their heads in reverence.

 

**-I Command thee each to accept a Task of the utmost importance-**

 

Ignis was the first to lift his head and regard the Astral before them. “As you wish,” he said as Gladio glanced his way. “What is the task?”

 

**-the True King faces danger and requires Protection-**

 

 

Ignis met Gladio’s eyes, surprise hinted in that gaze before they both returned their attention to Bahamut. “As you wish.”

But Gladio rose to his feet and faced the intimidating sight cloaked by the clouds. “From us?” he asked. “You want us to go babysit him?”

“ _Gladio_ ,” Ignis hissed in warning.

 

 

**-this is My Command-**

 

Gladio crossed his arms and stared up at the Astral. “Why? Why both of us? Why is he in danger? You got anythin’ about that?”

 

**-that is for Thee to determine-**

 

Without warning, the cloud dissolved beneath their feet and both men dropped, falling. Ignis was quick to adjust and grabbed Gladio’s hand just in time. Amber eyes met emeralds in gratitude as he twisted into position and they flew back down to the solid earth below.

They landed not far from where they’d left, but before Gladio could breathe a sigh of relief, Ignis turned on him. “Are you _insane_ , Gladio?” he shouted as his wings vanished. “What on _Eos_ possessed you to speak to Him in such a manner?”

“I don’t like not knowin’ the whole picture,” Gladio quickly answered as they stalked back over to the tree where both his book and Ignis’s berries still rested. “I’m tired of these fuckin’ puzzles and riddles. Just tell me.”

“It is not our place to question Him.”

“I’m not sayin’ question _Him_ ,” Gladio snapped as he snatched up his book and faced Ignis. “Wouldn’t it save everyone a little more time if he told us everythin’ we needed to know?”

“He trusts us to figure things out for ourselves,” Ignis answered softly as he picked up the basket containing his berries.

“And if it puts us in danger?”

Ignis scoffed softly and walked over to Gladio. “You idiot,” he reprimanded with a smile. “We’re immortal.”

Gladio pursed his lips. “But we can still get hurt,” he muttered stubbornly.

“Oh, come off it,” Ignis laughed as he stepped back and looked at the other man. “Why are you protesting this so much?”

Sighing, Gladio looked away and left the question unanswered, even when a hand touched his face and brought his gaze back to Ignis.

“We were chosen for this,” the fair-haired man reminded in a quiet voice. “Called in to serve. Think of what could have been if we weren’t, Gladiolus.”

Gladio didn’t want to, and his brow furrowed at the thought. He tried to turn away again, but Ignis’s touch held him firm.

“Would you rather spend eternity without me?”

The question had Gladio’s eyes snapping back to look at Ignis. The expression on the other man’s gaze was enough to make him feel guilty and he shook his head. “Of course not, Iggy, I just…” He sighed. “Being at His beck and call like that… The way we aren’t asked, we’re _told_ …”

A rueful smile crossed Ignis’s face. “Consider the alternative, darling,” he said with a soft pat of his hand before he pulled away. “We should leave soon.”

“Wait a minute,” Gladio protested as they walked down the hill. “Who’s the True King?”

“Have you _always_ been this daft?” Ignis asked in reply as he turned to look at the other man. “It’s the Crown Prince Noctis.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Rolling onto his other side, Noctis groaned when he was met with a faceful of sunlight. He reached blindly behind him and yanked a pillow over his face, hearing a squawk of protest, which he realized was Prompto.

Whose pillow he had just stolen.

Lifting it from his face, Noctis grinned sheepishly over at Prompto as the mussed blond glared at him. “I give you the best blowjob of your life, and you steal my pillow?” he exclaimed with a scoff. “Not cool, dude.”

“The sun dared to shine in my face, Prom,” Noctis retorted, gesturing to the window. “It’s your fault for not closing the curtains.”

“The curtains?!” Prompto exclaimed as he sat up. “Dude, it’s _your room_.” He crossed his arms with a pout before he looked back at Noctis. “Who sleeps in a bed that faces east anyway? Move your bed, idiot.”

Noctis’s jaw dropped in feigned offense as he lifted the pillow to smack Prompto with it, but the blond caught it and tugged Noctis hard towards him. With a yelp, the prince was lifted from the bed and onto Prompto, but momentum had him rolling off the bed past Prompto and onto the floor.

Gasping, Prompto dropped the pillow and scrambled off the bed in concern. “Shit, dude, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed. “You okay?”

As soon as the blond was within reach, Noctis grabbed him and tackled him to the floor as Prompto squawked once more in protest. “I am now,” the prince said with a grin as he straddled the other man.

“Dude! Not cool! I thought I hurt you!”

Noctis rolled his eyes. “Prom, I rolled off my bed, not off the top of a building.”

Prompto pouted. “You still coulda hurt yourself,” he mumbled before lips were kissing his and he gasped in surprise.

“You’re cute when you pout, you know that right?” Noctis asked with a sheepish grin.

Prompto licked his lips and wiggled a bit. “Shut up and kiss me.”

The prince’s grin widened before he nodded and leaned back down to do as told. The sounds of wet kissing filled the room and the ears of the two figures now occupying the space on the other side.

 

Gladio crossed his arms and looked at Ignis. “This is who we’re protectin’?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow when he saw the blush cresting the other man’s cheeks.

Ignis cleared his throat when he felt Gladio watching him and nodded his response as a pleasured sigh escaped Prompto’s lips. A hand came up from the other side of the bed and fumbled in the drawer of the nightstand nearby and both men watched it procure lube and a condom with more ease than either of them expected.

Once the hand disappeared, the sound of a wrapper being opened followed. By the time wet sounds began, Ignis turned away. “We should give them their privacy.”

“Hey, we were told to _protect_ him,” Gladio protested. “We can’t just _leave_.”

Ignis lifted an eyebrow and turned back towards the other man. “Gladio, you pervert.”

“Hey, we’re babysittin’ a couple of horny kids. It’s gonna happen.”

“They are unaware they have an audience, Gladio,” Ignis snapped a little more harshly than he meant and he closed his eyes to calm himself. “They will be safe in here. _Alone_.”

Before Gladio could say anything, the sound of skin slapping skin filled the room and he couldn’t help the way his face grew warm. He didn’t protest as Ignis took his hand and dragged him out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind them.

“What if we’re protecting the prince from the blond kid?”

 

**-protect the Companion of the True King-**

 

The sudden command had both men gasping in surprise before Gladio growled and clenched his fists. His arousal over the situation vanished, replaced by the anger he’d felt earlier. A hand touched his arm and he looked up to see Ignis shaking his head gently.

“We protect them both, Gladio,” he said softly, wetting his lips a bit anxiously when Prompto’s pleasured noises reached a heightened pitch. “And we’ll have to adjust to their…spirited activities.”

Gladio lifted an eyebrow before he sighed and rubbed at his face with a nod of agreement.

“And I’m sure we’ll discover the nature of our task soon enough,” Ignis added as the sounds from the other room grew silent. “We must be vigilant in our duties.”

Nodding again, Gladio turned and braved to open the door and check on the prince and his friend, only to find them making out on the floor in post-coital bliss. He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. “I’m kinda jealous.”

Ignis tugged Gladio away from the door and chuckled. “We’ll have time for that later.”

“When?” the big guy exclaimed in reply. “From the sounds of it, we’ll be on twenty-four-hour watch with these two. You and me gonna fuck on their couch when we feel like it? We weren’t told how long we have to do this for!”

“Gladiolus, _please_ ,” Ignis whispered with a slight frown. “Have a little faith. If not in Him, then in me.”

Meeting Ignis’s gaze and seeing the desperation in those eyes, Gladio let out another sigh and nodded. “Alright, alright,” he muttered before the door opened behind them, startling them both.

Noctis strode out from the room, dressed only in a pair of boxers as he stretched and passed directly through Gladio. The big guy shivered at the sensation, and even Noctis paused in surprise. He stopped and turned to look as if something would be there, but before he could think on it any further, Prompto trudged out from the bedroom, looking completely disheveled.

“What?” he asked when he saw the look on the prince’s face but Noctis could only shake his head.

“Nothing,” he reassured, taking Prompto’s hand to head into the kitchen.

Gladio moved out of the way this time, watching the two young men before suddenly Noctis tripped and fell to the floor. Prompto let out a bark of a laugh and held his stomach when his laughter turned into a fit of giggles as Gladio’s face fell into his palm.

“ _Six_ , Iggy,” he muttered in realization. “I think we’re protecting them from themselves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gladio's a bit of a voyeur #sorrynotsorry


	3. How it Develops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gladio and ignis come to a head (giggety)  
> and try yet again to figure out what it is they're meant to do.

“Has anything felt…different to you?”

Prompto looked up from his photography textbook in confusion as he lifted an eyebrow. “Huh?” he asked, a hint of worry in his tone. “What do you mean?”

Noctis glanced around the living room of his apartment and shrugged as his eyes passed over the unseen figures of Gladio and Ignis. “…I…I don’t know,” he admitted after a moment. “Something’s felt…different for the past week and I can’t figure out what it is.”

“You gotta be more specific than that, dude,” Prompto replied as he glanced around as well. He was slightly relieved that Noctis wasn’t referring to their relationship, but his worry now shifted to something being wrong with his boyfriend.

The prince turned to face the blond across the table from him and sighed. “This is gonna sound weird, but…” He pursed his lips. “It almost feels like someone else is here.”

Prompto’s eyebrow shot back up and he was seconds away from teasing Noctis until he saw the concern in the other man’s eyes. “Really?” he ended up saying instead, looking around one last time. “Huh. Can’t say I’ve noticed.”

Noctis’s shoulders slumped, but more in relief that Prompto didn’t laugh at him than anything. “It’s probably nothing,” he said, shaking his head as he glanced back down at his homework but before he could resume working on it, there was a knock at the door.

 

Immediately, Gladio stiffened where he sat on the counter and jumped down as he marched over to the door, ready to crack skulls. But Prompto cheered from the table as Noctis got up to answer the door.

“Pizza!” the blond whooped before Ignis let out a disgusted sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“This is the _third_ time this week they have ordered pizza,” he grimaced as Gladio groaned in annoyance and watched as Noctis opened the door to reveal a deliveryman on the other side. “I am beginning to believe you were correct in your assessment of who we are protecting them from.”

Gladio glanced over at Ignis in surprise but for once declined to comment. He’d been waiting for the past week for the other man to determine what their purpose was here, what they were protecting Noctis and Prompto from. He couldn’t imagine that he was actually right about protecting the two college youths from themselves.

The thought infuriated him. How could this be a divine command? He knew Ignis would argue that they were protecting the King in order for him to become who he was meant to be, but Gladio couldn’t accept that preventing the kid from hurting himself and fixing his diet of non-stop pizza was something that warranted divine intervention.

It also infuriated him that he’d gone a _week_ without Ignis. It infuriated him that Noctis and Prompto literally had sex every day – often more than once. He was jealous, intrigued, and rightfully pissed off.

And although he could tell by his lover’s demeanor that Ignis felt the same, the other man refused to budge on their duties until they could say with certainty what it was they were there to do.

 

The two angels made idle conversation as Noctis and Prompto gorged themselves on pizza and finished their homework, but not before the blond started a game of footsie and slid his foot against Noctis’s groin with a wicked grin on his face the entire time. It was painfully obvious he’d done this before by the way he used his foot with a skill even Ignis had to admire before both men realized they were watching and turned away as Noctis was brought to completion.

Growling in frustration, Gladio stalked off without a word and Ignis could only watch him go. He felt a mixture of guilt, arousal, but a strict sense of duty. Where was the line? Could he abandon his watch to give Gladio the attention he deserved? Or would that one lapse in judgment cost them something they couldn’t afford to lose?

Part of him expected he was overreacting. That such a short amount of time spent with Gladio couldn’t endanger Noctis’s or Prompto’s lives so easily, but Ignis couldn’t bring himself to disobey. It wasn’t because he believed he would be punished, but he took his loyalty seriously. They were given a command, and Ignis planned to carry it out.

That is until Noctis and Prompto moved from the table to the couch, put on a movie, and proceeded to make out. “Astrals, they really are quite insatiable,” Ignis muttered to himself.

It didn’t take long for the kissing to stop and Prompto fell asleep curled atop of Noctis, who managed to watch a bit of the movie before dozing off as well. Ignis smiled to himself as he walked over and took the blanket resting along the back of the couch and draped it over the two before heading back into the kitchen. A part of him was tempted to clean, but he resisted.

Although they had not been forbidden to show themselves to mortals, it was an understood rule that they remain unseen unless otherwise specified. Especially in an intimate setting such as this.

With a soft resigned sigh, Ignis leaned forward on the counter, eyes resting with disinterest on the television before the slap of a bottle on the counter beside him startled him back into alertness. He glanced down and his eyes widened when he realized it was Noctis’s bottle of lube and the warm body behind him told Ignis _exactly_ what was going on.

“They’re asleep, we can see them from here, and if you don’t let me do this, I’m gonna fuckin’ explode,” Gladio’s lust-thick voice growled in his ear.

Ignis’s breath came out in a shaky exhale, arousal flooding him immediately as he nodded. “Hurry,” he breathed, clutching the counter as Gladio made quick work of their pants and got him ready. He had the brief notion to be embarrassed that they were doing this, but before he could dwell on it any longer, Gladio finished prepping him and pushed inside.

Gasping, Ignis reached back with one gloved hand and curled his fingers in Gladio’s dark hair, gripping tight as the other man started a deep, intense pace. The feeling of Gladio’s thick warmth inside of him, the pleasure coursing through him, Ignis hated that he’d denied them both this for over a week. He pushed back into Gladio, grinding with need as teeth grazed his neck and bit.

Ignis didn’t want to admit how much he loved Gladio’s roughness, and with a brief glance towards the couch, he let go of the other man’s hair and let himself be pushed hard down onto the counter. He let out a choked moan of absolute _need_ when Gladio slammed into him. He didn’t even need to touch himself, Gladio was more than enough to make every inch of him feel alive, the warmth coiling in his stomach as one last solid thrust brought him home. He came with a cry of unabashed pleasure and a rustle of feathers and Gladio’s quiet, focused grunts told him the other man was close. He was more than happy to clench around that cock inside of him as he glanced over his shoulder at the black-winged angel intensely fucking him.

Gladio came a moment later and his wings twitched with pleasure as he pressed in deep and filled Ignis,  hips jerking one final time before he sagged atop the other man. “Fuck…” he breathed as he kissed up the other angel’s clothed back. “Iggy, that was…”

Ignis smiled and reached back to stroke Gladio’s hair, opening his mouth to supply a word before his eyes fell on the sleepy gaze of Prompto.

Who was staring right at them.

But before either man could think of what to do, the blond yawned and settled back down atop Noctis.

 

 

With a gasp, Prompto jerked back upright and looked in the kitchen, only to find nothing there. His actions earned a groan of protest from Noctis as the prince woke and sat up with a frown.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a yawn, glancing towards the kitchen where Prompto’s gaze still rested.

“…I just had the craziest fucking dream, dude,” the blond replied, rubbing his eyes and blinking.

“Yeah?”

“Two dudes were having sex in our kitchen,” Prompto elaborated with a nod. “But get this, one of them had wings!” He sat back on the opposite side of the couch and sighed. “Shame it was a dream, they were _hot_.”

 

Gladio couldn’t help a smirk from where he and Ignis crouched. Although they didn’t have to hide, Prompto had seen them for some reason, so neither wanted to risk it again.

“Hear that?” the big man murmured as Ignis cleaned them up. “We’re hot.”

“I heard quite perfectly,” the other man answered, voice tight as he finished and met Gladio’s gaze. “This will not happen again.”

Gladio frowned. “What? Because he saw us?” He scoffed. “Iggy, it was an accident. He thinks he was dreamin’. We’re _fine_.”

“I will not repeat myself,” Ignis said as he rose to his feet and glanced in the direction of the couch. “Understood?”

When he got no reply, Ignis turned to find the other man gone. Frowning, he rubbed his forehead and tried not to sigh. He was beginning to worry this task would tear them apart.

 

* * *

 

Gladio didn’t reappear until Noctis and Prompto headed into the bedroom with Ignis tailing behind. He was losing his patience, for more than one reason and paced the living room while Ignis watched the two youths. He gritted his teeth at the thought. He was finding it harder and harder to want to find out what they were protecting Noctis and Prompto from, and easier and easier to want to just… _leave_. He paced the living room one last time and then growled.

No, he was done.

Whipping around, Gladio stalked into the bedroom to find Ignis watching over the sleeping figures of Prompto and Noctis. Prompto was on his stomach, snoring softly with his phone under his cheek while Noctis slept beside him in a pretzel-like manner that _had_ to be uncomfortable.

Ignis acted as if he hadn’t noticed Gladio’s arrival and reached to take the blond’s phone out from under his cheek as gingerly as he could manage.

Gladio watched for a moment and then glanced back at Noctis, studying the prince’s soft features in the dim light. Sighing in resignation, Gladio stepped forward to gently untwist the prince from his uncomfortable position. As if on cue, Noctis sighed in his sleep and turned onto his side, closer to Prompto.

The blond snuggled Noctis in an almost instinctual manner as Gladio met Ignis’s gaze.

“We will figure this out, Gladio,” the fair-haired man assured, reaching for the other’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

Gladio could only nod, but his heart had softened.

 

* * *

 

_A few days later…_

 

“Nyx told me the movie was _epic_ , Noct,” Prompto was saying as they walked down the sidewalk together. He was browsing through pictures on his camera, but looked at Noctis eagerly. “We _have_ to go see it!”

Noctis let out a soft chuckle and shrugged. “I guess.” He stuck his hands in his pockets as they turned the corner. “I’ve never been a big fan of that series.”

“Oh, come _on_ ,” Prompto whined as they ventured down an alleyway, heading back to the apartment. “For me, _please_?”

The prince gave his boyfriend a look, opening his mouth to reply before two men crossed their path and barred them from leaving the alley. Immediately, Noctis tensed and moved to stand in front of Prompto, but hands grabbed him from behind and yanked him back.

“Let go of him!” Prompto shouted in rage. “Don’t you know who he is?”

The tallest man, presumably the leader, barked out a laugh and shoved Prompto back against the wall. “We know exactly who he is, twink,” he sneered. “Which is why we’re gonna play with you and let him watch.”

Without warning, the man punched Prompto hard in the jaw and the camera tumbled to the ground, but before the man could get another hit in, he stumbled back from an unseen shove. Although he remained invisible, Ignis stood in between the man and Prompto, emerald eyes ablaze as he waited for his next opportunity to move.

Gladio, on the other hand, slipped behind the man holding Noctis, and with a feather-light touch, bent to grip the prince’s foot and help jam it onto the foot of the man restraining him. The man howled in surprised pain as Gladio guided Noctis’s elbow into his stomach, and then into the man’s nose when he doubled over.

The sudden attack startled the other men watching as Ignis tripped the one stumbling back, causing him to stagger into the man guarding the exit to the alley. When they righted themselves and tried to go for Prompto, Ignis tripped them again with ease.

With all three men on the floor, both Gladio and Ignis were relieved to see their wards take the opening and flee the alley. They waited for a few seconds to make sure the men stayed down, and then flew after the two youths.

Fortunately, Prompto was an excellent runner, and although Noctis was slower, he kept his own as they ran the rest of the way back to the apartments.

Neither saw the angels flying over them the whole way, and neither spoke until they were back in the apartment and Noctis was all over Prompto.

“Dude, I’m fine,” the blond failed to assure the prince, wincing when the other man braved to touch the cut on his lip.

 

Gladio and Ignis could only watch as Noctis rushed to the fridge to get some ice and wrap it in a dish towel to place on Prompto’s swelling jaw.

“Is this what we have to protect them from?” the big man asked quietly, arms crossed, shoulders tense with rage. When Ignis didn’t reply, he turned to the other angel. “We can only interfere so many times before they start noticin’.”

“I know, Gladio.”

The sound of Prompto crying brought both of them to a stop, both turning to watch as Noctis held the blond and consoled him as best he could.

“It’s bad enough they hit me, but I dropped my camera…” Prompto hiccupped between soft sobs as Noctis’s hold on him tightened.

Gladio watched Ignis step forward, eyes narrowing in confusion, but he relaxed when he saw the slim man shrug his shoulders and open his white wings. He lifted his hands and gently, ever so gently, placed his hands on the backs of both young men, wings spread wide. Slowly, he bent them forward and wrapped his feathered appendages around Noctis and Prompto, a soft glow emanating from within.

Still watching, Gladio listened as the soft sobs slowly quieted and a smile graced his lips. Touched at what he was seeing, a sudden thought occurred to him and he turned to leave.

By the time Ignis finished soothing Prompto and Noctis, Gladio was nowhere to be found. He didn’t know what to make of the other man’s absence, but tried to trust that Gladio would return. He stepped back from his two wards as his wings disappeared, watching as they pulled apart and blinked like they were coming out of a slumber.

“Come on, Prom,” Noctis said, taking the blond’s hand and guiding him to the bedroom.

 

Prompto followed without protest, holding the cloth full of ice to his chin before he bumped into Noctis after entering the bedroom. “Noct?” he asked in confusion, glancing up to find the prince’s eyes wide and fixed on the bed. Following his gaze, Prompto gasped in alarm and dropped the cloth, listening to the sound of wet ice scattering across the floor as he stared in shock at the sight of his camera resting on a pillow.

Ignis drew up behind them to see what was wrong and spotted the camera just as Gladio reappeared at his side. A smile curled at Ignis’s lips as he reached to touch his lover’s scarred face. “Oh, Gladio, you softie,” he breathed before he sighed.

“I know,” Gladio was quick to cut Ignis off. “I just…” He sighed as well. “I think this is about more than we think.”

Ignis tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“…I think they need our help.”

"Well, of course, Gladio, that is exactly why we are here."

"No, Iggy, I mean..." the big man sighed and scratched his head for a moment. "I think they need  _us_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #sorrynotsorry for all the smut  
> why am i apologizing for the smut? idk.


	4. How It Grows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis and gladio realize their plan isn't working,  
> and develop a new strategy.

Noctis refused to talk about the incident. Refused to address the attack, or the strange reappearance of Prompto’s camera.

Everything.

It was bad enough that he’d been feeling the presence of something else in his apartment. A sensation that he couldn’t exactly pinpoint, one that convinced him they weren’t alone. But when Prompto had his weird dream about the guys in their kitchen – wings or not – that unsettled the Lucian prince even more.

And then the attack in the alley…

Noctis would swear on everything holy he’d felt something  _guiding_  him, touching him, helping him. He wouldn’t call himself weak, but he certainly didn’t think he had it in him to take down the man holding him, and yet he had. And how had the men attacking Prompto suddenly lost balance and fall like that?

It frightened him.

It definitely didn’t help that he was alone in the apartment right now. Despite his protests, Prompto assured him he’d be fine coming home from a photography workshop by himself, but Noctis expected his boyfriend was just as unsettled about the incident too. He didn’t want to push the other man’s buttons, so he went against his better judgement and let Prompto do as he wanted.

The prince sighed as he flopped down onto the couch and eyed the empty room warily. He felt the presence now and he didn’t want to admit how much it scared him. For a moment, he thought about going outside to wait for Prompto, but decided against it in the end. He really didn’t want to upset him.

When the presence seemed to go stronger, Noctis tensed and reached for the TV remote before he huffed and looked around. “Can whatever’s there just…go  _away_?” he asked with a tinge of aggravation that even surprised him.

 

Ignis couldn’t help taking a step back. “Oh, dear,” he commented softly to himself as prince sighed and slumped back against the couch.

He’d suspected it when he’d first heard Noctis address sensing their presence, but now Ignis knew they were failing in their mission to protect the prince. Maybe not directly, but aside from the fight and Noctis’s straight-up clumsiness, nothing had actually threatened Noctis or Prompto on a level that required angelic protection. He didn’t want to admit failure, or agree with Gladio’s pessimistic view of their situation, but Ignis  _had_  to believe they were here for a reason.

He refused to accept that Bahamut would command their presence here to ‘babysit’ – as Gladio put it.

But they were failing. Instead of protecting, instead of helping, they were frightening and haunting their wards – and that didn’t sit well with Ignis at all.

Was this situation not what they thought it to be? Were they not here to actually protect the prince but to have their skills and patience tested? How could they determine the truth? How long did they have to wait before things became clear?

When the door to the apartment opened, both Ignis and Noctis turned to see Prompto trudging in with Gladio behind him. Noctis jumped to his feet and rushed over to the blond, hugging him tight and surprising both Prompto and the angels watching.

“Dude, I’m fine?” Prompto assured with an almost nervous laugh while Ignis and Gladio shared a look.

 

“We need to talk,” Ignis advised, walking over to Gladio as Noctis and Prompto moved over to the couch together.

For once, Gladio seemed to be on the same page as Ignis and nodded in agreement. “Yeah…”

“We must change tactics.”

Gladio’s eyebrow shot up. “We gotta do what?”

Ignis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. “I am beginning to believe we assessed this situation wrong from the start,” he explained. “I do not know what He had in mind when He sent us here, but we presumed we were to watch these two like hawks from some impending threat.” He gestured in exasperation around them. “This is clearly not the case.”

Gladio’s jaw clenched, aggravated Ignis seemed to be implying that they’d wasted their time up until now. But he swallowed his anger and let out a breath. “What are you suggestin’ then?”

“A different approach,” Ignis replied, glancing towards the two youths huddling on the couch. “We are frightening them with our presence. We cannot protect them this way.” He turned back to Gladio. “So we must try another.”

“Stop beatin’ around the bush, Iggy.”

Ignis sighed once more. “We must let them see us.”

“Uh, are you crazy?”

“I am not implying we let them see us as angels, Gladio, don’t be daft.” Ignis rolled his eyes. “I am suggesting we become human. Befriend them. That way, we will still be here to face whatever danger threatens them.” He glanced back at the prince once more time. “Something tells me they will not turn us away.”

Gladio crossed his arms. “I think you’re forgettin’ that the blond kid saw us,” he reminded.

Ignis shook his head in response. “I am willing to take that risk, Gladio,” he said, facing the angel beside him. “I find it unlikely he will remember us from his ‘dream’. Your wings were out, darling. His mind has already assured him it was not real.”

A faint blush blossomed on Gladio’s face as he stared at the blond for a long moment before sighing in resignation. “Alright,” he muttered with a nod. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

 

* * *

 

When Noctis woke the next morning, he immediately noticed the lack of the strange presence. He sat up in concern, rather than relief as he looked around, expecting to see something different that would explain the absence, but nothing stood out.

Prompto made a noise of protest at his side and grabbed sleepily for him before cracking an eye open. “..’s wrong?” he mumbled.

The prince shook his head, frowning as he moved to lay back down. “…Nothing, I guess,” he said, letting Prompto attach himself to his side and sling a leg over him. “…That weird feeling I had is gone.”

“…That’s good, right?”

Sighing, Noctis shrugged. “…I guess,” he breathed out in a sigh before he glanced at the clock. “We should probably get up.”

“Why?” Prompto protested. “We don’t have anything going on today.”

“Because it’s almost noon.”

“Oh.”

Noctis grinned a little before he peeled Prompto off him and padded out of the bedroom to the kitchen. He was reaching for the refrigerator door when a commotion sounded from the hallway and tilted his head as Prompto came out of the bedroom, yawning.

“What was that?”

Shrugging, Noctis headed over to the door and looked out the peephole, blinking in surprise. “Someone’s movin’ in across from us,” he observed, looking back at the blond. “Should we be good neighbors and say hello?”

“In our boxers?” Prompto asked skeptically as he moved Noctis out of the way to look. “Uh, scratch that. We go in our boxers.”

“What? Why?”

“Did you  _see_  them?” Prompto pointed at the peephole. “They’re hot!”

“You think everyone’s hot, Prom,” Noctis muttered as he looked again and paused. “…I hate it when you’re right.”

“That is totally a lie, dude.”

After a moment more of watching, both young men scrambled to clean up and get dressed in order to meet their hot new neighbors. They squabbled at the door before Prompto grew impatient and threw it open just as a tall, well-dressed man wearing glasses and carrying a box walked past. He paused in surprise at the sudden action before his emerald eyes fell upon the two standing frozen in the doorway.

“Oh, hello,” he greeted in a voice that made Prompto weak in the knees, though he fought to hide it and merely squeaked.

Noctis lifted an eyebrow at the blond before he looked back at the tall man. “Hey,” he replied, trying to be cool. “Moving in?”

The man glanced down at the box and shifted it. “It would appear so,” he said, earning an embarrassed blush from the prince.

“Need help?” Prompto volunteered a little too eagerly.

“Oh, I couldn’t ask that of you,” the newcomer protested.

“You’re not, I offered!” Prompto offered his hand before realizing the other man couldn’t accept it and reached for the box instead. “Uh, I’m Prompto.”

“You may call me Ignis,” came the response as Prompto took the box from him. “Thank you, darling.”

Prompto squeaked again and hurried inside the apartment as Noctis closed the door to his and shyly glanced up at the tall man.

“I’m Noctis,” he offered as Ignis smiled.

“I know,” he answered as he turned to head inside the apartment. “My apologies, but I do recognize you, Your Highness.”

“Oh, please, no, none of that,” Noctis protested. “No titles.”

“My apologies,” Ignis repeated, placing a hand to his chest and bowing slightly.

Noctis tried not to blush as they stepped inside. “Are you always this proper?” he asked. “You’d fit right in at the Citadel.”

Ignis offered a smile as he shut the door behind the prince. “I was once a royal retainer,” he responded rather vaguely.

“‘Was’?”

“I’m afraid it’s a rather long story.”

Noctis wanted to know more but realized Prompto hadn’t returned yet and he looked around in confusion. “Hey, where’d Prompto go?”

“He’s in here,” a deep voice called from the bedroom and before the prince could move, another tall man appeared.

Saying he was huge was almost an understatement. Tall, thick with muscle, and tattooed, Noctis swallowed thickly at the sight of the amber-eyed man approaching them. “You must be Noctis,” he said, offering a big hand to the prince as Prompto peeked out from the bedroom, completely red-faced.

Noctis glanced down at the hand before timidly accepting it, gasping at the man’s firm grip before he remembered to nod. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Gladio.” He smirked at the blush on the prince’s face, but decided not to comment as he let go and stepped back. “We’re finished with bringin’ everythin’ in, so you guys don’t have to help if you don’t want.”

“It’s totally fine!” Prompto exclaimed – once again a little too eagerly – from the bedroom. “Right, Noct?”

Although Noctis didn’t really want to help unpack, since he hadn’t even eaten yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. There was something familiar and reassuring about both Gladio and Ignis, and he wanted to stay.

And yes, they were hot too, but Noctis had to _really_ convince himself that that was only part of the reason he agreed to help them unpack.

“Would you like to help me in the kitchen, Noctis?” Ignis asked with a warm smile. “I believe Gladio has absconded with your friend into the bedroom.”

Noctis looked over just in time to see Prompto’s blush deepen as Gladio approached him with a grin and tugged him into the room.

“Come on, Chocobo.”

“Noctis?”

The prince looked up at Ignis, blinking in confusion before realizing he hadn’t answered the other man. “Oh, yeah, s-sure…” he stammered, nervous for some reason as he followed the taller man into the kitchen.

As they started unpacking, he was surprised at all the utensils and cookware inside. “Someone likes to cook,” he commented as he handed the items to Ignis.

The other man smiled fondly as he found a place for the cookware and began putting them away. “That would be me,” he advised. “I will be cooking dinner this evening. Perhaps you and Prompto would like to join us?”

Noctis blinked in surprise, almost dropping the pan in his hand. “Oh, n-no, we couldn’t,” he protested. “Why are you even cooking after working so hard all day?”

“You already said it yourself,” Ignis reminded politely as he took the pan from the prince. “I adore cooking.” He smiled in a way that _felt_ warm to Noctis. “It would be no imposition. I simply must go shopping, that is all.”

Fidgeting, Noctis glanced at the bedroom, hearing laughter and knowing Prompto would agree regardless of whether or not they were imposing. “If… I mean, if you’re sure…”

“I would not have asked otherwise, darling,” Ignis murmured as he leaned close to check the box for anything else to put away.

Noctis was stunned to feel his heart pounding from how close Ignis was, how good he smelled, how beautiful he was. He didn’t even realize he was staring until the other man cleared his throat politely.

“Next box, if you would.”

“O-oh, yeah!” the prince exclaimed sheepishly as he grabbed the next box and opened it.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, Chocobo, that is the third time I’ve caught you starin’, what gives?”

Prompto’s face reddened impossibly deeper as he looked away and pursed his lips. “S-sorry, dude, you just…” He wanted to say a _lot_ of things. Like, ‘you’re hot!’, ‘your arms are giving me a boner’, but mainly, he couldn’t shake the familiarity the other man gave him.

He took a moment to clear his throat as they started unpacking some of Gladio’s books. “Sorry,” he said again. “You just…look familiar?”

He wasn’t sure if he imagined the way Gladio’s expression turned serious, but it was gone as soon as it appeared – replaced with a smile.

“Do I?” the big guy asked before shrugging. “I think I’d remember meetin’ you.”

Prompto blushed again and took a few books out of the box. “Why’s that?” he muttered before he looked at the books in his hand. “Whoa, you read this stuff?”

Gladio’s eyebrow arched. “Yeah, what’s it to ya?”

Prompto looked up in surprise. “I had to read these in school,” he explained. “I mean, I know they’re good books, but I hated having to read them.” He tilted his head. “You really like this stuff?”

The big guy smiled as he took them from the blond and placed them on the bookshelf. “Yeah, they’re not for everyone,” he agreed. “But I’m a hopeless romantic.” He grinned. “There’s some good stuff in there, ya know.”

Prompto scoffed. “My teachers couldn’t get me to see that, dude,” he said as he grabbed a few more to hand off to Gladio. “What makes you think you can?”

Gladio faced the shorter man, a smirk on his lips. “That a challenge?”

Prompto’s mouth went dry and it took him a few seconds to reply. “…I think?” he squeaked out, earning a laugh from Gladio.

“You’re alright, Chocobo,” he said before wincing and looking at Prompto. “Eh, you don’t mind me callin’ you that, do you? It’s a bad habit. I nickname people.”

Prompto perked up. “Not at all!” he exclaimed as they finished with the box and moved to the next. “It just so happens, I freakin’ _love_ chocobos.”

 

 

It took them most of the day to finish unpacking the essentials. Noctis joined Gladio and Prompto, helping them while Ignis departed for the store to get groceries for dinner. Upon his return, he immediately began cooking and curiosity got the best of the prince – he offered to help.

He was more than excited to see the man was cooking fish, but he scowled at the vegetables and didn’t relent even when Ignis raised a brow at him.

“I hate vegetables.”

“Oh, you’re far too old for that way of thinking.”

“Nope,” Noctis answered stubbornly. “Always have, always will.”

Ignis tilted his head and regarded the prince for a long moment. “I will take that as a challenge, Highness,” he said before bowing his head. “Apologies.”

Noctis had to smile at that. There was something incredibly charming about Ignis and his mannerisms. He was polite, proper, but not condescending. He found himself thinking he really did want Ignis to change his mind about vegetables, despite his lifelong aversion to them.

Once the food was cooking, he joined Ignis in setting the table and called Prompto and Gladio out from the bedroom. The blond appeared, rubbing his stomach as he sniffed the air.

“Dude, that smells _awesome_ ,” he said. “I’m starving!”

“It will be ready shortly,” Ignis advised as he looked to Gladio and smiled fondly at the other man. “Have a seat, all of you.”

“You sure, Iggy?” the big guy asked. “I can help.”

Ignis gave Gladio a look, but smiled as he shook his head. “I shall do the serving,” he advised as he set the table with the sides he and Noctis had prepared, returning to the kitchen to get the fish.

After serving the three men sitting at the table, Ignis prepared his own plate and joined them. He waited, watching Noctis as the prince tried the fish and smiled when Noctis blinked in surprise and chewed with enthusiasm.

“Ignis, this…this is really good!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Ignis scolded politely before bowing his head. “…Dear me, I apologize. Old habits die hard, I’m afraid.”

Prompto couldn’t help a giggle and even Noctis seemed to be amused instead of offended.

“It’s okay,” he assured with a soft laugh, smiling. “Really.”

Ignis relented with a nod, and took a bite of his food as Gladio looked at the prince and tilted his head.

“So, what’s the Lucian prince doin’ in an apartment instead of the Citadel?” he braved to ask.

“Gladio!” Ignis hissed, but Noctis shook his head.

“College,” he answered like it was obvious, Prompto nodding in agreement.

“…But you’re the prince,” Gladio reminded as if they’d all forgotten. “Isn’t this some kind of security thing?”

“Not really,” Noctis answered as if it wasn’t important. “Campus police patrol the area. I have Crownsguards I can summon if I need to. But…generally, things are pretty safe around here.”

Gladio and Ignis shared a look, but said nothing. The lax in security became glaringly apparent after Gladio’s question – why hadn’t they noticed before? But at the same time, if it was a problem, why hadn’t anything happened yet?

Was Noctis right? Were things actually safe here and the threat was from another aspect in the prince’s life? What about the men who’d attacked them in the alley? Were they just thugs giving the two a hard time because of their relationship?

“Why are you asking?” Noctis ended up inquiring, breaking Ignis from his thoughts.

Gladio shrugged as if he’d expected the question. “Used to be a bodyguard,” he answered, punching his fist and grinning. “And the prince of Lucis comes into my apartment without one. I could use a job, ya know.”

“Ooh!” Prompto exclaimed with an excited grin. “Hire him, Noct!”

Noctis blinked several times, stunned at the sudden offer. He sat in silence for a long moment, wondering why all of this felt so right even though he hadn’t even known the two men for a full day. He met Prompto’s eager gaze, then glanced at Ignis, who was watching him with a curious expression, before he finally turned his attention back to Gladio.

His instincts said he could trust the big guy, and if his instincts were anything to go by, Ignis was a good soul too. There was something otherworldly about them both, but…in a good way. Plus, he was pretty sure the two of them were dating and he couldn’t imagine Ignis being with someone… _bad_.

“…I’d, um, I’d have to clear it with my dad, but…” Noctis shrugged and then smiled again. “Yeah, okay.”

Prompto clapped with excitement. “Whoo-hoo!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i held back. no smut.  
> don't hate me ;)
> 
> i know i'm posting kind of fast on this one, i'm just REALLY INSPIRED.


	5. How It Nurtures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's the next day and both prompto and noctis have their run ins with ignis and gladio.  
> and also regis wants to see gladio.

It was late by the time Prompto and Noctis decided to excuse themselves and go back to their apartment. They said their goodnights and disappeared behind their door, but Ignis didn’t shut his until he heard the lock engage on theirs.

Satisfied, he closed the door as Gladio started gathering dishes. “That was way easier than it shoulda been,” he commented.

With a sigh, Ignis dropped his head forward and nodded before he turned to help the other man. “A thought that concerns me,” he said as he brought the dishes with leftovers into the kitchen to put them up, pausing at a thought. “But, maybe that is what we are here to do…”

Gladio set the dirty dishes on the counter before opening the dishwasher. “Huh?”

“Perhaps you weren’t so far from the truth when you surmised we were protecting them from themselves,” Ignis clarified, looking at the other man. “They are far too trusting, too naïve. Not to say they should suspect every stranger of foul play, but their instincts of that nature seem to be…nonexistent. They walked into the ambush in the alley, had no means to defend themselves…” He trailed off, still thinking. “If Noctis is to be the True King, he must surely have threats far worse in store for him…”

Gladio’s expression turned serious as he slowly shut the dishwasher. “…Somethin’ tells me you hit the nail on the head, Iggy,” he replied in a quiet voice, turning to face his companion, who smiled.

“If that is the case, then you have your work cut out for you,” Ignis advised with a tilt of his head as Gladio drew closer.

“Yeah,” he muttered as he wrapped an arm around Ignis and pulled the other man flush against himself. “I gotta teach those pipsqueaks how to fight.”

“Well, they have an _excellent_ teacher,” Ignis breathed, reaching to cup Gladio’s face affectionately before kissing him.

“You don’t understand how fuckin’ stoked I am to have you to myself again,” Gladio growled softly against Ignis’s lips in an abrupt change of topic.

Ignis couldn’t help a laugh. “Oh, I do,” he assured, shifting against the other man and feeling the hardness pressing against him. “I really do, but focus, Gladio.”

“On what?” Gladio whined as he pulled back. “We figured out what we gotta do, at least for the time being.”

“And how, exactly, do you plan on teaching them to fight?” Ignis asked with a tilt of his head. “What if the King refuses to let you be his son’s bodyguard? We’ve only managed one foot in the door, Gladio. We cannot waste _all_ our time on carnal pleasures until we’re completely inside.”

“…Iggy, did you just—” Gladio grinned at Ignis’s choice of words, but the other man gave him a look.

“I know what I said, Gladio. Be quiet.”

 

* * *

 

The following morning, Prompto got ready for class before Noctis and stole a kiss as he gathered his things. “I’ll see you at lunch, Noct, I gotta go!” he exclaimed, stumbling to put on his shoes as the prince watched with a raised brow.

“Why?”

“Meeting with the group from my photography class to take some pics!” the blond shouted as he rushed to the door.

Opening it and shutting it in one fluid motion, Prompto immediately collided with something solid and the air whooshed out of him.

“Whoa there,” Gladio said, grabbing the blond’s arm before he toppled over. “Where’s the fire?”

Catching his breath, Prompto’s eyes shot up in surprise as he blushed. “Oh…shit, dude, I’m sorry,” he breathed, trying _not_ to notice the pleasant sheen of sweat coating Gladio’s body and the way it made the tanktop stick to his muscles. “I’m running a little late.” He turned to leave but hesitated. “…Have you been working out?”

“Running,” Gladio clarified with a smile.

“Oh, nice,” the blond said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Um, I mean, I used to be on my track team in high school. I like to run, just don’t really get to do it much these days.”

“Well, get your ass up a little earlier and you can come with me,” Gladio offered, lifting an eyebrow before realizing how that sentence had come out.

The blush, which had been fading, immediately deepened on Prompto’s face. “Oh, really? Um, that, I mean, I couldn’t… Well, I mean, if you insist. Aw fuck, I gotta go.” He scrambled down the hall in a fit of panicked embarrassment, and Gladio couldn’t help laughing.

“Cute,” he muttered before he blinked in surprise and felt his stomach drop. No…he… No. No. He forced those thoughts out of his head immediately, took a breath to shake off the flutter he felt inside, and then entered his apartment. He loved Ignis, he took his duties seriously (with the exception of his issues with authority).

Wait, why was he overreacting? He could think Prompto cute and not have anything be wrong with that, right?

“Gladio?” Ignis inquired from the kitchen, lowering his cup of Ebony from his lips. “Is something the matter?”

“Huh?” Gladio looked up, his trail of thoughts scattered by Ignis’s concerned inquiry. “Oh, it’s nothin’. Bumped hard into Prompto out there and ya know. He’s a hyper little thing.”

Ignis was surprised by Gladio’s lie, but said nothing as he took another sip of his coffee. “Prompto? Up _this_ early?” he asked instead.

“Didn’t say why.” Gladio moved away from the door and headed into the bedroom, feeling Ignis’s eyes on him the entire way.

“Hm,” Ignis murmured thoughtfully, wondering if Gladio would eventually tell him what happened, but deciding it wasn’t worth worrying over. Very few things unsettled the big guy, but if whatever happened concerned Prompto, it couldn’t be _that_ serious.

Could it?

Lifting his coffee for another sip, Ignis was surprised to hear a knock on the door. He lifted an eyebrow, but supposed the possibilities of who was on the other side were very limited and set his coffee down to go and answer the door.

Sure enough, Noctis stood on the other side looking nervous and a little mussed in his appearance. Ignis regarded him for a second before Noctis blushed and attempted to fix his hair.

“Allow me,” the former retainer offered as he reached with one gloved hand to delicately straighten the prince’s hair.

Noctis blushed and muttered a ‘thank you’ before he cleared his throat. “Um, is Gladio here?”

“He’s in the shower,” Ignis advised, finished with Noctis’s hair but opting to fix the youth’s collar before drawing back. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Uh, well, I mean, my dad wants to meet with him,” the prince attempted to explain, flustered after being so close to Ignis. “Before he agrees to let him work for me. Could you let him know?”

Ignis nodded and bowed his head slightly. “Of course,” he assured. “Did your father specify a time?”

Noctis shook his head and was about to reply before his stomach growled quite audibly. He blushed so deep, Ignis nearly grew concerned, but then his attention shifted to the reason Noctis’s stomach would have growled in the first place.

“Dear me, have you had breakfast?”

“No,” Noctis muttered, embarrassed as he refused to meet Ignis’s gaze. “I, well, we typically skip it or eat leftover pizza or something.”

“Good heavens,” Ignis murmured, reaching for Noctis’s hand without thinking and guiding him gently inside the apartment.

“W-what are you doing?” Noctis exclaimed, wide-eyed as he clutched his shoulder bag before it fell.

“I am making you breakfast,” Ignis informed as he headed into the kitchen and pulled out a griddle. His gaze fell on Noctis, firm and unyielding. “Sit.”

Stunned, Noctis fell into a seat at the table without protesting any further and set his bag down on the floor. He felt the need to insist Ignis shouldn’t be cooking for him, but something told him the other man had already made up his mind. Not to mention, Noctis wasn’t completely opposed to the fact someone was caring for him in such a way. He loved Prompto, and couldn’t imagine himself ever leaving the blond, but they were so alike in ways that left them wanting in many others.

Neither of them could cook worth a damn, with the exception of Cup Noodles and a few other various microwavable meals. They skipped breakfast in lieu of powdered donuts from a vending machine and energy drinks to keep them going until lunch.

Just as the smell of eggs reached his nose, there was movement from the bedroom and Gladio strode out in nothing but a towel wrapped low around his waist. “Damn, Iggy, that smells gre—” the big guy was saying before his eyes found Noctis’s, but the prince’s attention was fixed on the towel.

“Gladio, we have a guest,” Ignis announced with a hint of amusement in his voice before the sound of plates being pulled out from the cabinet followed. “Perhaps you would like to get dressed?”

“Uh, yeah,” Gladio stuttered, struggling to move until Noctis finally wrenched his gaze away from the towel to look up at the big guy with a thick swallow.

Suddenly aware his towel left little to the imagination, Gladio let out a curse and disappeared into the bedroom with a hasty slam of the door. Noctis was still staring when the sound of a plate being set on the table startled him, gaze jerking up to find Ignis smiling down at him.

“Don’t mind Gladio,” he said to the prince. “He can be daft far more often than seems appropriate. I hope he didn’t offend you.”

Noctis offered a small smile and shook his head, glancing down at the plate of eggs and the glass of orange juice. “He didn’t.” The eggs smelled divine and he reached for the fork before hesitating. “Um, thank you. You didn’t have to…you know…” He shrugged.

“You’re quite welcome,” Ignis murmured in a tone Noctis could’ve sworn was affection. He watched the other man return to the kitchen to put aside some eggs for Gladio, then proceeded to clean up.

“You’re not goin—” Noctis started to ask after taking a bite before Ignis arched a brow and he closed his mouth to swallow his food practically on command. “Sorry, um, you’re not going to eat?”

Smiling, Ignis picked up his coffee mug on the counter and added a little more coffee to it. “I already ate, darling,” he explained in reply, taking a sip before leaning back against the counter. He thought better of his decision and stood back up to join Noctis at the table instead, placing the spare plate of eggs at the adjacent spot beside him.

There was a brief awkward silence before the door to the bedroom opened and a clothed Gladio appeared. He briefly glanced at Noctis before meeting Ignis’s amused expression. “Uh, sorry about that,” the big guy muttered, glancing at the prince once again as the younger man shrugged while chewing a mouthful of eggs.

“I made you some eggs, Gladio,” Ignis advised after taking another sip of coffee, gesturing to the other plate with a soft smile on his lips.

Instantly, Gladio’s demeanor changed as he joined them at the table and dug into the eggs with a rather voracious enthusiasm that put Noctis to shame. The prince lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Ignis before remembering he’d wanted to talk to the bodyguard.

“Oh, um, Gladio?” he tried more timidly than he meant to but he cleared his throat and tried again. “Gladio, my dad wants to meet you.”

Gladio looked up in surprise, pausing in his egg-devouring. “Oh yeah?”

Noctis nodded and smiled a little. “Yeah, um, he wants to meet you first,” he explained. “Since he doesn’t know you, and he’s probably going to make you fight one of the Crownsguard, you know. Prove your skills.”

“Awesome,” Gladio said, taking another bite of his eggs. “When?”

“I wouldn’t keep him waiting,” Noctis suggested, finishing his orange juice. “Maybe this afternoon? Once I’m done with classes. I can go with you?”

Gladio looked to Ignis, who nodded. “If it isn’t a problem, I would like to accompany you,” he said, looking to the prince.

Noctis looked at Ignis, surprised, but he nodded as well. “Yeah, should be okay.” A chime sounded from his pocket and he looked down to see a text from Prompto. “Oh, crap, I have to go.” He got to his feet, grabbing his bag and looking to Ignis again. “Thank you, for breakfast. It was really good.”

“You’re welcome, darling,” Ignis replied and stood to walk the prince to the door, chuckling once he was gone.

“Six, Iggy, you coulda warned me, you know,” Gladio said as Ignis walked back over to the table to get the prince’s plate and empty glass.

“I am simply grateful you were wearing the towel, Gladio,” he teased, stealing a warm kiss before heading into the kitchen to put the plate and cup away.

“…True,” the big man admitted as he finished up the eggs. “But this is a good thing, yeah? The king coulda said no, but I have a bit of a test to look forward to.”

“Mm, let us hope you are still up to the challenge,” Ignis teased as he finished his coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher.

“Hey, watch it,” Gladio huffed as he got up to bring his plate into the kitchen. “Why’d you cook him breakfast anyway?”

Ignis gave the other man a look. “He has a _terrible_ diet, Gladio,” he reminded. “He even told me they skip breakfast and often eat their leftover pizza as their morning meal. It’s simply atrocious.”

“ _Now_ who’s the softie?”

“Oh, be quiet.” It was Ignis’s turn to huff, although a smile graced his lips and he moved into the arms of the other angel. “He seemed to relax the longer he was around us. You know, now that I think about it…” His gaze shifted to the door. “He spends more time with Prompto than anyone else. Actually, I don’t recall _anyone_ other than Prompto…”

Gladio tilted his head. “Why do you think that is?”

“I expect we will learn the reason soon enough,” Ignis surmised before he leaned in for a kiss, “but it would not surprise me to learn he is simply unsocial.”

Returning that kiss and taking in the scent of his lover, Gladio sighed softly as they parted. “A shame I had to shower only to get dirty again,” he murmured against those lips, feeling Ignis grin against him.

“Do you remember when we christened our last home by having sex in every room?” Ignis whispered. “Shall we keep up tradition?”

Gladio grinned this time and responded by scooping Ignis up and depositing him on the counter. “That’s a _great_ idea.”

 

* * *

 

By the time afternoon rolled around, Ignis and Gladio lost themselves to a nap on the couch. Considering how there were only four main rooms – living room, kitchen/dining area, bedroom, and the bathroom – they’d completed their goal with startling ease in time for lunch and a nap.

The sound of a knock at the door broke Ignis from his slumber first, and he sat up with a yawn of surprise before glancing at the clock and getting up. “Oh dear,” he murmured. “Gladio, wake up. I believe Noctis is here.”

Hurrying to the door, Ignis opened it to find the prince on the other side, accompanied by Prompto. “Hey,” he greeted with an awkward wave. “Are you guys ready?”

“Yes, just a minute, if you please,” Ignis responded with a slight bow of apology. “We took a nap and overslept, it seems.”

“Dude, happens _all_ the time,” Prompto assured with a smile and even Noctis had to nod in agreement, a small smile on his lips too.

“I’m up, I’m up!” Gladio was calling from the couch. It took him a moment to wake up before he hurried over to join them at the door.

“Shall we then?” Ignis asked, waiting for nods from everyone before letting Noctis lead them out of the apartment and down the sidewalks to the Citadel, which ended up being about a twenty minute walk from the complex.

Noctis led them up the grand steps and into the tall, elegant structure that comprised the royal building, waiting for them to be announced before he led them inside the throne room. Ignis and Gladiolus regarded the row of seats before them in silent awe before their gazes fell upon the man seated alone in the center, in the highest throne.

Bowing, to which all three of his companions followed suit, Noctis introduced the two newcomers to his father and his father to them.

“I would ask which of you requests to guard my son, but I believe I can judge that for myself,” Regis said as he rose to his feet and regarded the men before him, gaze settling on Gladio. “Are you willing to test that skill here and now?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Gladio answered promptly with a polite bow of respect.

“Good.” Regis lifted a hand and gestured past them. The doors to the throne room opened and a tall man entered, hair close-shaven and fair. “You will fight Cor. If you can best the Immortal, you may have the honor of protecting my son.”

“Oh come on, dad, that’s not fair!” Noctis protested.

“Fair to whom?” Gladio asked with a grin, and even Cor smiled _ever_ so slightly before lunging in to attack.

Ignis darted out of the way just in time, standing beside Prompto and Noctis as he watched Cor and Gladio engage in a furious, fast-paced fist fight. Gladio’s skills with martial arts had always been unparalleled, well with the exception of Ignis, but even Ignis was surprised at how easily Cor kept up with the angel.  He’d never seen anyone keep up so well with a divine creature and for a _brief_ moment, he worried for Gladio.

Gladio would fight fair, he always did, but Ignis could see the conflict in those amber eyes as he traded blows with the “Immortal”. He could see Gladio struggling not to dip into the true angelic nature within him, the nature that would give him the power to overcome Cor with ease. And it wasn’t until the fight turned his back to Ignis that he _truly_ saw the struggle Gladio faced – his wings were struggling to come free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, hold the presses everyone because [i have been blessed with my first ever fic fanart and it's AMAZING](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6tsJiXWsAMR_pP.jpg:large) by @recipehsart (on Twitter) - let me know if there's a more preferred way of crediting you!!!
> 
> this is teh first time i've ever had someone draw art based off a fic of mine and it'S A VERY GOOD FEELING. thank you SO much <3


	6. How it Complicates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the fight ends.  
> prompto makes a discovery.  
> and things get complicated.

his guy was unbelievable. Why wasn’t  _he_ protecting the kid? Maybe he was the King’s protector?

Why did it  _matter_?

Shaking his head, Gladio returned his attention back to the fight at hand. The fact that this Cor had managed to stay on an even level with him this whole time was incredible, and although Gladio normally every confidence in his skills, he was actually beginning to doubt himself and whether or not he could win without his powers.

A part of him lamented for not being more vigilant with his training, the rest of him was aware now was not the time for regrets. He had to  _focus_ , but it was become more and more difficult. He neglected to consider the consequences of losing, neglected stopping to think of what would be required to win a fair fight without his angelic powers.

And the more he thought about his predicament, his inability to rely on those powers, the harder it became to fight the urge.

And it was almost too late when he felt the pressure building in his back and he let out a gasp of alarm.

This needed to end. Now.

Dodging Cor’s latest attack, Gladio concentrated and assessed the other man’s patterns up until that moment, anticipating the next move and deflecting it just in time. He saw the surprise flicker in those faded blue eyes and smirked as he changed his tactics, going on the offense with more stamina than necessary.

WhenCor finally stumbled to the ground, Prompto let out a preemptive cheer and blushed when all eyes went to him. Ignis let out the breath he’d been holding as Gladio offered a hand to the fallen Marshall, who accepted and let the other man help him to his feet.

“Your style,” Cor said as he gripped the hand holding his. “It’s…”

“Good?” Gladio prompted, a little  _too_  eagerly.

Cor’s gaze hardened. “ _Old_ ,” he corrected, taking satisfaction in the way Gladio’s grin vanished. “Where did you learn that style? I haven’t seen it for quite some time.”

Gladio certainly couldn’t tell the other man the truth – that he’d been the one to come up with it – so he shrugged. “Just what I was taught, sir.”

Cor studied him for another moment before he let go of Gladio’s hand and turned back to the king with a curt nod.

“Congratulations, Gladiolus,” Regis advised as he lowered himself carefully back into his throne. “There are few with the skill to best my Marshall. Perhaps you could teach him a few things.”

Cor let out a dry huff before he bowed to the king and took his leave from the throne room.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Gladio said with a bow of his own.

“I need a few moments alone with my son,” Regis advised. “If you would all be so kind as to wait outside.”

Noctis groaned with juvenile annoyance as Prompto led Gladio and Ignis out of the throne room and into the hall. While the blond’s back was still to them, Ignis reached up and smacked the back of Gladio’s head.

Gladio winced and grabbed the back of his head, glaring at Ignis half-heartedly. He knew why he was being smacked but he couldn’t exactly address it with Prompto a few feet away. He managed a nod as the younger man turned to face him with excitement etched in every part of his face.

“Gladio, that was awesome!” he was exclaiming. “I don’t think I’ve  _ever_  seen anyone beat Cor! You’re totally perfect to be Noctis’s bodyguard!”

“I’m yours, too, pipsqueak,” Gladio advised with a smile, chuckling when Prompto blinked in surprise.

“M-mine? Why?”

“Because you and the Princess are a package deal,” Gladio said as if it were obvious and Ignis sighed at the nickname, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Prompto flushed at the comment, poking his fingers together as his gaze dropped. “You, uh, figured that out, huh?”

Ignis smacked the back of Gladio’s head and gave the other man a look before clearing his throat politely. “Do forgive Gladio,” he said, still eyeing his companion before he looked at Prompto. “He forgets the meaning of tact sometimes.”

“No, it’s okay, we just, um…” Prompto stammered for a few seconds until Ignis’s hand touched his shoulder.

“You do not owe us an explanation,” he assured as those blue-violet eyes looked up at him. “If the topic is personal, we will respect that, of course.”

Before Prompto could properly explain, the doors to the throne room opened and Noctis appeared with a slight scowl. He saw the concern on Prompto’s face, but dismissed it with a shake of his head and wave of his hand.

“It’s nothing, just my dad being my dad,” he said before he looked at Gladio and smirked a little. “You made my dad eat crow, man. It was awesome.”

Gladio lifted an eyebrow. “He didn’t want to let me be your bodyguard?”

“He doesn’t really trust my judgement,” Noctis explained with a shrug of his shoulders. It bothered him, but he tried to hide it. “He asked about you, Ignis. I told him what you told me you used to be and he said you could, um, you know, work for me if you need a job too.”

Ignis’s eyebrow lifted this time, matching Gladio’s. “Did he now?” the former retainer asked as his gaze shifted to the big man beside him. He pretended to think about it before he returned his attention to Noctis. “If you would have me, Highness, it would be my pleasure. However, I will leave the decision to you.”

Blinking in surprise, Noctis nodded almost immediately. “Well, yeah!” he exclaimed. “Especially if it, um, means more eggs for breakfast.”

“You got eggs for breakfast?!” Prompto exclaimed, mouth agape as he stared at the prince. “Dude! Not cool!”

“It’s not my fault you left early to take pictures,” Noctis protested as Ignis laughed softly.

“Fear not, Prompto,” he reassured. “It appears I will be making them again in the near future from the sounds of it.”

The blond let out one of his familiar cheers of triumph before Noctis led them out of the Citadel, back to the apartments. The sun had almost set by the time they returned, and Ignis remarked he would start dinner shortly.

“I suggest,” he was saying as he reached the door to his apartment. “That any homework be done quickly. I expect you in here on time at six-thirty.” His tone was stern, but his smile was warm.

Both youths blinked in surprise, but Gladio laughed and reached to ruffle Prompto’s hair as he headed inside the apartment with Ignis. As the door shut, Prompto’s eyes caught sight of something dark and he glanced down just as a long black feather settled on the floor.

 

* * *

 

 

Gladio dodged another attempted head-smack from Ignis. “Hey!” he exclaimed with a frown. “I get it, alright?”

“Do you?” Ignis asked rather crossly as he headed into the kitchen to start dinner. “You nearly blew our cover in front of the  _king himself_ , Gladio.”

“It’s not my fault!” the big man exclaimed as he followed Ignis. “You saw how the guy was fighting. We sure  _he’s_  not an angel?”

“Please,” Ignis murmured with a roll of his eyes as he took out some meat he’d purchased the evening before and removed his gloves. “ _You_  underestimated the test you were to be given.” He refused to agree with Gladio about Cor, not when his point about their cover remained valid.

A silence passed before Gladio finally nodded. “You’re right, Iggy, I’m sorry,” he muttered, earning a surprised look from the other angel.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Opening his mouth to repeat himself, Gladio saw the twinkle in those emerald eyes and made a face. “Oh, ha ha,” he muttered, crossing his arms before Ignis appeared before him and took his face in his bare hands.

“I couldn’t resist,” Ignis murmured as he stole a kiss. “Forgive me for being harsh, I just…worry.”

Gladio’s hands settled on the other man’s slim hips and pulled him closer. “Well, someone’s gotta,” he said and kissed Ignis again, deeper this time.

Ignis lost himself in that kiss, letting Gladio explore and taste him before the reminder he was supposed to be cooking refreshed in his mind, and he pulled away with a groan of displeasure. Gladio echoed the noise with one of his own, watching Ignis with a slight pout before drawing him behind the other man.

When lips and soft teeth descended upon his neck, Ignis gasped and stilled momentarily. “Gladio…” he tried to protest, hands tightening on the meat in his hands. “I must cook dinner, can’t this wait?”

“No,” Gladio answered bluntly as he bit the other man’s neck and grinned at the noise Ignis made in response. “Come on, Iggy. I dare ya to make dinner while I do you.”

For a _brief_ moment, Ignis was tempted but he remembered himself and shook his head. “Gladio, that would be incredibly unsanitary,” he snapped before he took a breath to calm down and turned his head to gaze at Gladio in apology. “…But I wouldn’t be opposed to a quickie on the couch once this goes in the oven.”

Grinning, Gladio pulled himself away to get ready on the couch, but Ignis didn’t rush his preparation of dinner. He flavored the meat with select spices and got the oven ready, grabbing some vegetables to slice up and put with the meat before placing the dish in the oven once it was hot enough. He stole a glance over his shoulder and found Gladio on the couch, pantless and stroking himself, and had to look away with a soft shudder of arousal.

Ignis set the timer, grabbed plates to set on the counter and then hurried to join his lover on the couch.

 

* * *

 

 

That night, Prompto didn’t sleep. After the discovery in the hallway, he’d felt a distraction he couldn’t shake. He’d barely managed his homework, barely managed dinner with the others, and even now, as he lay in bed with a naked Noctis pressed against him…

He couldn’t stop thinking about the feather.

What made it worse was the fact that a _feather_ was unsettling him. He knew how stupid he was being, that there were plenty of logical explanations for it – the main one being that it wasn’t even real, but…

He knew he hadn’t imagined the way he’d felt when he’d touched it. An overwhelming sensation of familiarity overcame him and it frightened him. Almost like...

…The dream.

Prompto let out a nervous laugh and got up from bed, shaking his head as he shuffled into the bathroom and used it. He pulled on a t-shirt and boxers and left the bedroom, stomach twisting anxiously as he paced for a bit. It upset up that he was so upset by this, and it wasn’t getting any better.

It was still sitting on his dresser where he’d left it and he was starting to regret keeping it. The tension was growing so tight, Prompto whined and opened the door to the apartment, ready to knock on the one opposite his before it opened and Gladio stood on the other side.

Gasping, Prompto flailed and stumbled back, nearly falling before Gladio caught him by the wrist.

“H-how did you—?”

“—Call it professional instinct,” Gladio answered softly, tilting his head in concern. “You okay?”

Prompto shook his head, but knew he couldn’t tell the other man the truth. “…I, um, I can’t sleep,” he half-lied. “I…feel anxious. I can’t make it go away.”

Gladio glanced over his shoulder and then past Prompto’s. “Come on,” he said, shutting his door as he let go of the blond’s wrist. “I know where we can talk.”

After shutting the door to his apartment, knowing Noctis would sleep like a log and not worry, Prompto followed Gladio in confusion. They went up two floors to the top before Gladio went down a side hall and opened a door that would take them up to the roof.

“…How do you know about this?” Prompto asked, bewildered as they stepped out into the cool of the night.

“Professional secret,” Gladio replied with a smirk and although Prompto didn’t understand the joke, he believed the other man wasn’t lying.

Following Gladio to the edge of the building, he sat with the other man on the edge and looked out over the lights of the city. He glanced at the Citadel in the near distance before he eyes fell on the big man beside him. He looked so gentle in the soft light, and Prompto would swear he was even… _glowing_.

“So, what’s eatin’ ya?” Gladio asked, turning his head to meet the eyes already on him.

Prompto turned pink and looked away, shaking his head. “I don’t know…”

“Somethin’s gotta be,” Gladio protested in reply, “but you don’t have to tell me what it is.” He waited for Prompto to look back at him before he smiled a little. “Just confirm something _is_ botherin’ you.”

Prompto bit his lip before nodding and looking away again. “It’s stupid…”

“Not if it’s botherin’ ya to the point of no sleep,” Gladio countered gently, leaning in towards Prompto just a little to make the younger man look at him again. When those blue-violet eyes met his ambers again, he smiled.

“Thanks, dude…” Prompto said in a voice barely higher than a whisper, unable to handle staring at that face for long. He looked away again, but focused on the tattoos decorating the older man’s arms, exposed by the tanktop he wore. “…Do these mean anything?”

Smirking, Gladio sat up and reached for the collar of his tanktop, pulling the fabric up over his head and twisting to show his back to Prompto. He heard the blond gasp in surprise before hands touched his back softly. He nearly shivered but kept himself in check as he lowered his tanktop and turned back to Prompto. “It’s a family thing,” he finally explained, watching the blond nod.

“Did it hurt?”

“Nah,” Gladio replied with a shrug as Prompto looked at him skeptically and he laughed. “Just a little, on certain spots.”

Prompto smiled a little, as if relieved to hear the other man admit that, but his eyes fell on the scar that lined Gladio’s face and he reached to touch it before he could help himself. “Did this?” he whispered.

Gladio’s eyes fluttered shut at the touch, but his expression grew solemn as he nodded. “It did,” he answered as those fingers trailed down his face and before Prompto could pull his hand away, he reached up and took it with his own.

Prompto seemed startled by the touch, and the pink of his cheeks deepened in the dim light. “Sorry,” he whispered, finding that he couldn’t look away from those intense amber eyes that seemed to be getting closer.

It was as if they made the decision at the same time and pressed their lips together with an almost relieved desperation. It should’ve stopped there, should’ve stopped with the accidental kiss, but it didn’t. It deepened and Gladio’s other hand cupped the back of Prompto’s head and caressed his scalp while his tongue slipped past pink lips and tasted the younger man’s sweetness.

Prompto whimpered, every inch of him on fire as he let Gladio in. He forgot where he was, what was wrong, let himself be brought closer into the lap of the other man while they kissed and let their desires run free. Until he suddenly realized what they were doing and gasped in alarm, pulling back and staring down at Gladio in embarrassed alarm.

“Shit…” Gladio breathed, blinking rapidly as he licked his lips and passed a hand over his face. “Shit, I’m sorry, Prompto… I don’t know what I was thinkin’.”

“Don’t think,” Prompto whined, surprising himself as he leaned in for another kiss. He succeeded for a few seconds until Gladio pulled away again with a soft groan of protest.

“We can’t…” he breathed, looking up into those needy blue eyes. “…You have Noctis, I have Ignis… We can’t…”

“N-no, it’s okay!” Prompto reassured. “Noctis and I have an ope—”

“—And I’m your…bodyguard,” Gladio added, although his tone was not exactly convincing. “I can’t… I’m sorry.”

 

* * *

 

Ignis easily woke to the sound of knocking on his apartment door. As angels, as immortals, he and Gladio didn’t exactly sleep. So when the other man had left his bed earlier, Ignis was aware he’d gone someplace with Prompto after hearing a quiet conversation take place at his door. He didn’t know what to make of that, unsure of whether or not it even meant anything that they had left.

He hoped it didn’t mean Gladio was hiding anything. He’d never given the other angel a reason to think he would have to, unless…

Ignis brushed the thought away and got up from his bed to answer the knocking, surprised but yet not, to find a sleep-rumpled Noctis on the other side.

“Noctis?” he asked with a tilt of his head. “Is something the matter? What are you doing up?”

The prince rubbed his arm, seeming nervous and small as he shifted his weight anxiously. “I woke up and…I can’t find Prompto,” he whispered, sounding genuinely scared. “I, um, I was…” He scrunched up his face and turned his head away. “Sorry, I just thought…”

Ignis reached for Noctis’s shoulder and guided the young man into his apartment. “He came here a little while ago,” he assured. “Gladio was awake. I suppose he took Prompto somewhere to talk, perhaps so that they didn’t disturb me.”

Relief flooded the prince’s face and he embraced Ignis before the angel had time to react. “Thank you.”

A soft smile graced Ignis’s lips as he reached to place a hand on the younger man’s back. “Whatever for?” he asked, watching Noctis pull back to look up at him.

“…You just, um, I mean…” the prince blushed in the darkness. “…You’re always so calm. It’s like nothing bothers you. Even earlier today during the fight, you were like a statue.”

“Years of practice, darling,” Ignis responded softly before realizing Noctis’s arms were still around him and those blue eyes were studying him in earnest. There was something so innocent and needy in that expression that a hand was cupping the prince’s pale face almost without him realizing it.

The touch seemed to both surprise and relieve the prince, and the space between them closed bit by bit until their lips touched. A soft, whimpered breath escaped from Noctis as he pressed closer, and Ignis complied with a deepening of their kiss.

But when his mind caught up to the rest of him, he pulled back with a shocked gasp and shook his head. “Highness, we can’t,” he protested, shaking his head again and refusing to look at Noctis. He couldn’t bear to see the disappointment he knew would be there.

When silence answered him, Ignis turned only to find the prince nowhere to be found, but the soft closing of the apartment door across the hall told him where Noctis had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all, @recipehsart finished the amazing [art inspired by my fic](https://twitter.com/recipehsart/status/1129868645419618309) and y'all should go look and pay some respects because it's beautiful. i can't thank you enough.
> 
>  
> 
> in other news, i had trouble with this chapter, so i apologize if it shows. <33


	7. How it Falls into Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis and gladio think on what they did.  
> prompto and noctis don't let them think about it for long.  
> and gladio learns something important.

****“How did we let this happen?”

Gladio and Ignis found themselves on the couch in their living room, sitting in a stunned awkward silence when they realized what they each had done.

“How do we fix this?”

Ignis felt a hand take his and he looked to Gladio in surprise, finding the other man staring at him with guilt etched in every part of his expression.

“Iggy, I’m sorry,” the big man said, squeezing Ignis’s hand as the other scoffed.

“Oh, Gladio, stop,” he replied, shaking his head as he looked at Gladio. “You and I are eternal. I will always be yours, and you, mine.” He lifted a hand to touch Gladio’s cheek, stroking softly. “We both did something here tonight. We both made a mistake, but this is not about infidelity. This is about our mission.” He touched his forehead to his lover’s and shook his head. “We have become emotionally compromised. I worry we are risking failure.”

Gladio drew closer. “Then what do we do?” he asked. “Will He stop us before we fuck up too badly? How will we know?”

“I do not know, Gladio,” Ignis answered with another shake of his head. “But we must resist this. We cannot let ourselves become more involved than we already are. I fear what it would mean for both us and His Highness.”

Gladio frowned, but nodded his head against Ignis’s and brought the other man closer. They held each other until morning came.

 

* * *

 

 

In the days that followed, both men tried to stick to their guns and resist as planned. At first, it wasn’t too terrible to pretend nothing had happened. Ignis made their meals, cleaned the prince’s apartment, and managed to get Noctis into a routine the younger man seemed comfortable with. Any talk about the kiss – from either of them – was quickly shut down by Ignis and the topic eventually was put to rest.

In the meantime, Gladio ran in the mornings with Prompto, and began teaching both youths how to fight. Noctis was rather clumsy at first, and Prompto let his anxiety and self-consciousness get in the way, but after a few days, there was already a vast improvement in both young men.

 

Thinking they had managed to skirt danger and lay the issue they’d faced to rest, both Gladio and Ignis began to relax on their behavior around Prompto and Noctis. For the first week after the incident, neither of them allowed the other to be alone with either of their wards, but as things began to settle down, Gladio found himself caring less and less about ending up alone with Prompto.

Sure enough, one afternoon, Ignis was called away to the Citadel by the King himself. Noctis was napping, and Prompto had been practicing punches with Gladio in the older man’s apartment so the prince could get some rest.

“Hey, you’re gettin’ better at this,” Gladio commented with a smile as he held up his arms and blocked the punches the blond threw his way.

“Yeah?” Prompto asked in surprise, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm.

“Yeah,” Gladio confirmed as he got back into position. “If you can hit me, we’ll call it any early day. Sound good?”

“Yeah, dude!” the blond exclaimed with enthusiasm, lifting his hands to start throwing punches at the big guy the way he’d been taught.

“Stop tryin’ so hard,” Gladio corrected after easily blocking the first few blows. “I can see you comin’ from a mile away. Do what I taught ya.” He could see the frustration building in those blue-violet eyes, but he wasn’t about to make things easy for Prompto.

And then it happened. Prompto finally did something Gladio didn’t expect. He feigned an attack, used his size and speed to his advantage, and landed a blow on the big man’s chest. Gladio stumbled back in surprise, rubbing his chest as he looked up at Prompto.

“Well, shit…”

Prompto grinned and jokingly flexed his muscles. “I know, I’m awesome,” he said as Gladio barked out a laugh and reached to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah, yeah,” he laughed, passing the blond to go into the kitchen and get them some water. He returned with two bottles and passed one to Prompto as he dropped onto the couch and took a long drink from his.

Prompto thanked Gladio and opened his bottle, but not before he watched the other man as he drank, watched the way a few droplets breached past the lip of the bottle and ran down Gladio’s tan and muscled neck. He was still staring as the other man’s chest heaved, his breathing not completely back to normal after their round of sparring, the sweat that glistened on his forehead and collarbone. He thought about the night they kissed, thought about how that warm body felt against his, imagined how big and thick and _filling_ Gladio would be atop him and…

He ached. He ached with a need so bad that it was driving him _crazy_.

But he didn’t realize he was staring so obviously until Gladio cleared his throat and lowered his water bottle from his mouth. “Uh, Prom?” he asked softly, a hint of discomfort in his voice. “You okay?”

Prompto put the cap back on his bottle and made a decision. In one swift movement, he dropped the bottle and slid into Gladio’s lap, leaning into to lick the trail of water up the big man’s neck and to his lips, kissing him hungrily as he pressed his groin into Gladio’s. He needed Gladio to know, needed him to _feel_ what this was doing him, needed to convince him that this was right and okay, and _meant to happen_.

At first, he thought he’d succeeded. Prompto felt hands grip his hips and tug him closer, felt the way Gladio took charge of the kiss, felt what the kiss and the touches were doing to the other man’s cock hardening against him through his sweatpants. He whimpered with need, rolled his hips and tangled his fingers in Gladio’s hair, but then the big guy pulled back and shook his head.

“ _Six_ , kid,” he growled, lust choking his voice as he shook his head. “I told you… We can’t, _I_ can’t.”

“Please…” Prompto all but begged, rolling his hips and biting back a moan. “We can. You can protect me _and_ fuck me.” He took Gladio’s face in his hands, smiling optimistically as he looked into those amber eyes. “Please…”

Gladio swallowed thickly, staring up into those eyes as he weighed the potential consequences of his actions. Would Bahamut let them fail? Or would He stop them before they failed the True King? Would he assign them a task if he knew they were unable to fulfill it?

A long silence passed before he realized his mind had been made up long ago and he crushed his lips against Prompto’s as his answer. They kissed with a desperate hunger, lips and teeth, swallowing each other’s gasps before Gladio felt hands at the hem of his sweatpants and he pulled back to look down.

Prompto brought Gladio’s hardening length out and stroked it firmly, smiling at the growls coming from the other man in response. “I need this in me,” he breathed, gasping when lips descended upon his neck and bit. He pressed closer, rubbing his own clothed erection against the cock he held in his hand. Gladio was moving, but he was too distracted to pay attention to what the other man was doing at that moment.

That is, until he realized Gladio had obtained lube and a condom and was now working on getting Prompto’s pants _off._ The blond was quick to help him, squirming out of the confining jeans before climbing back atop his place in Gladio’s lap. He kept a hold of the big man’s cock while he watched Gladio lube a finger and reach around him, gasping when that digit pressed inside of him and arching.

“Oh!” he breathed, whimpering as he pressed back into that finger. “Yes…”

Lips found his own again and Prompto moaned wantonly as one finger turned into two, and then three. His hips moved of their own accord as he pleasured himself on those fingers, pleasure coursing through him and building that beautiful tension before he realized he was seconds away from coming and reached back to stop that hand.

“N-no!” he panted, skin flushed and sweaty as he looked up at Gladio. “Get _in_ me.”

Licking his lips, Gladio stared a moment before he nodded and pulled his hand free just as Prompto reached for the lube and condom and got the big man ready. He was more than happy to stroke that thick length as he sat up and braced himself on Gladio’s shoulders, eyes firmly locked on the other’s as he seated himself on that thick cock. His eyes fluttered shut as it filled him, that pleasured stretching burn lasting just a few seconds before it faded into that fulfilling sensation of being…well, _filled_.

Lifting himself slowly, Prompto sat back down with a huffed moan and repeated the action again, and again. His thighs burned, his chest heaved, but pleasure overcame him and made it all worth it. He opened his eyes and found Gladio watching him intently, and he leaned in to kiss those pouty lips affectionately as he rode the other man.

Without warning, however, Gladio gripped him by the thighs and turned him onto the couch with a growl of need, situating himself as he met those blue-violet eyes and thrust in deeply. Prompto’s lips parted in a stunned ‘o’ of surprise before Gladio slammed inside of him, hard and deep, and he cried out.

It was everything he needed, everything he wanted, and Gladio looked so beautiful, so divine, it was almost more than Prompto could take. He felt the tension brewing, felt that warmth coiling and the need building. His fingers found Gladio’s shoulders and dug in, hips rolling to meet those thrusts as each one brought him closer before he was coming hard with a cry of pure ecstasy.

Gladio growled deep in his throat when Prompto clenched around him, felt the tension in his back, fought the urge to let his wings free as the pleasure overwhelmed him. He thrust in again and came, hips jerking as he pressed in deep and let it all go before sagging atop Prompto, completely spent.

Kissing at the other man’s sweaty neck, Prompto petted Gladio’s hair and whimpered softly. “Oh…” he breathed, licking his lips and squirming a little. “Oh, we need to do that again, buddy.”

Gladio pulled back and looked down with a raised brow, but found that he couldn’t exactly say no.

 

* * *

 

 As Ignis walked back to the apartment, he found himself thinking about what the king had wanted to see him for. It had been rather surprising, but something he looked forward to sharing with the others as he made his way inside. It was just as he reached his door that he heard the noises coming from within and his stomach dropped.

“Gladio…” he whispered, brow furrowing as he cracked open the door just in time to see Gladio flipping Prompto onto the couch and thrust into him with near reckless abandon.

Immediately, Ignis shut the door and turned, gasping when he found Noctis behind him, almost expectantly. The prince reached out and took Ignis by the wrist, guiding him wordlessly back into the apartment before shutting the door and pressing the adviser against it. Another wordless moment passed before Noctis leaned up and kissed Ignis softly, and then deeply.

Knowing they were already past the point of no return, Ignis didn’t protest as the prince slipped down his body, dropping kisses along the way until he was kneeling before the older man. Ignis watched with hooded eyes as Noctis fumbled with his belt before undoing it and pushing his pants down out of the way.

“Noctis…” he breathed in realization, watching those blue eyes flick up at him before the prince took Ignis’s hardening cock in his hand and then into his mouth with a soft moan of desire.

Inhaling sharply, Ignis’s head dropped back against the door as his hands slipped through Noctis’s dark locks. He hadn’t had a mouth on his cock in literal ages – Gladio wasn’t fond of them and Ignis really didn’t care enough to be bothered by that. But having a wet warm mouth around his aching length was a reminder of how _good_ it was, and his hips twitched with a need that embarrassed the angel.

Pulling back to the tip, Noctis swirled his tongue, lavished the pulsing flesh and then took all of Ignis in as far as he could go. Prompto was the real king of blowjobs, but Noctis had learned plenty from the blond throughout their time together. From the sounds the adviser was making, he was doing a good job. From the way those fingers tightened in his hair, he was doing better than he expected.

Ignis felt his release building, felt the way his body tingled, felt the pressure in his back and gasped in surprise. He had better control than that. Gladio was the one who always struggled with his wings.

“Noctis…” he breathed again, a whimper lining his breath as his hips jerked a little. “I…”

Noctis pulled off his cock with a soft ‘pop’ and licked his lips. “Come on, Iggy,” he encouraged, tentatively stealing the nickname until Ignis said otherwise. He took the man back into his mouth and all the way in, relaxing his throat like Prompto taught him.

Choking out a moan, Ignis arched off the door and tightened his fist in Noctis’s hair, hips pushing into that wet warmth with _need_. Before he could help himself, he found himself face-fucking the poor prince, but Noctis didn’t protest one bit. Not even when Ignis came with a strangled cry and pressed in deep. He gagged a little, but took what he could and pulled back with a swallow, wiping the rest off his mouth as he looked up at the ravished adviser sagging against his door.

Fixing the man’s pants, Noctis kissed his way back up Ignis’s body and then kissed him warmly. Ignis tasted himself in that kiss and shivered as they pulled apart, meeting the prince’s gaze as his hand was brought to the younger man’s groin.

“My turn, Iggy…”

 

* * *

 

When Gladio woke, he felt eyes on him and turned his head to see Prompto curled against him, watching him.

“Hey…” the blond whispered hesitantly, offering a nervous smile.

“Hey…” Gladio whispered back.

“I’m sorry.”

An eyebrow went up. “Huh? For what?”

“This…” Prompto answered, gesturing to them. “…I…I should’ve listened to you. You didn’t want to, and I made you…”

Gladio huffed softly, then laughed as he shook his head. “I didn’t do anythin’ I didn’t want to, Prom,” he assured with a smile. “It’s more complicated than that…”

“Because you have to protect me and Noct.”

“Yeah…” Gladio rubbed at his face. “I wish I knew from what, though.”

Prompto’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Wincing when he realized what he’d said, Gladio tried to pass it off. “Well, I mean, you know… Noctis seems pretty safe. Maybe he doesn’t need me.”

“Dude, really?”

“What?”

Prompto lifted himself up on one arm and rested his head in his hand as he looked at Gladio. “You don’t know about the prophecy?” The blank look on the bodyguard’s face answered the question for him and he ended up sitting up. “Yeah, dude! He’s supposed to be the True King and all that, but there’s this whole prophecy thing about the Night coming before the Dawn and all that.”

Gladio sat up and stared in surprise at the blond. “…The Night?”

Prompto shrugged. “No one really gives it much thought these days,” he ended up saying, gesturing towards the window. “Does it look like we live in an age where prophecies are a thing?”

Pursing his lips in thought, Gladio glanced at the window and then back at Prompto. “What is the Night supposed to be?”

“Dude, you’re asking the wrong person,” Prompto replied with a laugh. “Noctis might know, or maybe Nyx, at the Citadel. Or even Cor, maybe?”

But Gladio wasn’t really listening, his mind consumed with this sudden information. There was a prophecy, there was a danger, and Gladio realized with relief that he may never have learned this if he hadn’t given in to sleeping with Prompto.

They were on the right track, he just needed to find Ignis. The realization that the other man wasn’t there worried him, and Gladio had to expect his lover had seen him with Prompto. It was dark outside, it had been hours since Ignis had left.

“Gladio?” Prompto asked softly. “…Did I say something wrong?”

“Hm?” Gladio looked back at the young blond and smiled warmly. “Oh, no… I’m just wonderin’ where Iggy got to.”

Prompto blushed. “Promise you won’t get mad?”

Gladio’s eyebrow went back up at that question. “Too soon to say, Chocobo.”

“Heh,” Prompto’s gaze dropped. “Noctis probably jumped him when he got back. I guess if Ignis isn’t here…he’s with Noct.”

Gladio couldn’t help a soft laugh as he rubbed at his face, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe these two; it was like he and Ignis were doomed from the start. But knowing his lover was within reach made things simpler.

 _Iggy, we need to talk_ , he called silently to the other angel. _I know why we’re here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all... i can't get over how much support and love i've gotten for this fic. thank you SO MUCH. <3333


	8. How it Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ignis and gladio learn about the prophecy. noctis gets a present. and gladio does something for the first time in a long time.

_I know why we’re here._

Gasping at the whisper in his mind, Ignis blinked his eyes open and stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. It took a second for him to recall where he was and that the body pressed against him was not Gladio. He pressed a hand to his face, regret resurfacing for a brief moment until the prince subconsciously nuzzled closer to him and his heart melted. He reached with that same hand and let it brush Noctis’s cheek, gaze fondly taking in the sight of the younger man.

 _Iggy_?

Gasping softly again, Ignis closed his eyes.  _I’m here_ , he replied.  _On my way_.

Detaching himself from Noctis with expert care, Ignis stroked the prince’s dark hair before turning to dress himself and leave. He passed through the apartment and out into the hall, just as Gladio stepped through the doorway opposite him. They exchanged guilty glances before Gladio reached out and tugged Ignis into his arms, wanting a moment with the other man.

“Iggy, relax,” he said after a short silence has passed. “I think this was meant to happen.”

“…You might be right, but I believe our problems are bigger than that,” Ignis confessed, hesitant to look up when Gladio pulled back in confusion. “…What happens when we finish here? What happens when He calls us home?”

Gladio closed his eyes in regret at the thought and turned his head away before letting out a sharp breath and pushing that regret away. “I’m not gonna worry about that right now,” he muttered, turning back to Ignis. “Prompto told me somethin’ important. There’s a prophecy, about Noctis.”

Ignis lifted his gaze to Gladio in surprise. “Six…” he breathed in realization. “We failed to even consider that…”

“I know,” Gladio growled in annoyance, “which is why I think we were supposed to get caught up with them this way.”

“Well, what does the prophecy say?” Ignis asked.

“Dunno.” Gladio shrugged, holding up a hand before Ignis could get annoyed with him. “Prompto couldn’t remember it all, okay? He kind of had a point about not really living in an age where prophecies were taken seriously. We haven’t even seen a lick of magic since we’ve been here. I kinda have to agree.”

“Do you believe this could be a dead end?” Ignis asked in response, heart heavy at the thought but he was surprised to see Gladio shake his head.

“Prompto called Noctis the True King, Iggy,” he explained, watching the realization settle into the other man’s face. “The prophecy he was talkin’ about it was referring to Noctis’s legacy as the True King… I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sold on this lead.”

“As am I,” Ignis confirmed without hesitation. “I will go to the Citadel tomorrow and make some inquiries. My clout there seems to be quite solid as of late.” He smiled a little and reached up to touch Gladio’s face. He didn’t want to think about when this was all over, he didn’t want to think about what that might do to Noctis and Prompto. He didn’t want to bear the responsibility coming into their lives and leaving would do, but they’d made their beds and now they had to lie in them.

“Should we go back to them?” Gladio asked, touching the hand on his face.

“For now,” Ignis answered with a soft sigh, leaning forward to kiss his lover softly. “But we must find a way to fix this.”

Gladio lifted an eyebrow as he pulled back. “What do you mean?”

“I have no qualms about sleeping with His Highness in his bed, but…” Ignis blushed in the darkness. “I miss you.”

Unable to help a smirk, Gladio slipped a hand along the back of Ignis’s neck and brought him closer. “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he reminded with a kiss. "We'll figure it out."

Ignis smiled and nuzzled that stubbled face before he pulled away and disappeared back into Noctis’s apartment. Gladio watched him go with a smile before he went back to Prompto and thought about what lay ahead for them all.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Noctis woke up alone and frowned for several reasons. It took a moment for him to recall he’d brought Ignis to bed and that Prompto was with Gladio, but that didn’t explain where Ignis was. It took another moment before the prince realized the other man was probably making breakfast, and he almost pouted.

Ignis took his duties very seriously it seemed.

Noctis wondered if he could change that.

But after showering and dressing, Noctis was surprised to find Ignis wasn’t even in his own apartment, just Gladio and Prompto bickering about a video game while eating toast with jelly.

“…Oh,” the prince said from the door, staring in confusion for a moment.

“Come on, Noct!” Prompto called. “Come tell Gladio he’s wrong about Smash Bros.”

Noctis shut the door and padded over somewhat hesitantly. “Where’s Ignis?”

“Citadel,” Gladio said around a mouthful of toast, earning a look from Noctis. “What? Iggy’s not here, we can talk with food in our mouths.”

“Right on, buddy!” Prompto exclaimed.

“Oh,” Noctis said as he sat down in his chair, feeling a little disappointed that duty seemed to be  _really_  important to Ignis. Was he overthinking on what that meant for him? Last night meant something, right?

“Somethin’ wrong?” Gladio asked when he saw the downcast expression on the prince’s face.

Suddenly aware of his behavior, Noctis forced a smile and took a couple pieces of toast for himself. “No, just waking up still,” he assured, only a few bites in before the door to the apartment opened and Ignis walked in.

“Oh, there you are,” the adviser said as his eyes fell upon Noctis.

The warmth those eyes gave him put all his fears to rest and the prince couldn’t help a smile before Ignis looked past him to the table and sighed.

“Really, Gladio? Toast? Have I taught you nothing?”

“They’re eatin, aren’t they?” Gladio huffed from the table as Ignis tsk’ed all the way to the kitchen.

“What’d you have to go to the Citadel for?” Noctis asked from the table as he watched the other man grab eggs from the refrigerator.

“I will show you after breakfast,” was all Ignis would say on the matter before he proceeded to make a fresh batch of scrambled eggs for them all since it was quick and easy. He served the finished meal and sat down to join them, sharing a look with Gladio that the other angel understood to mean he had learned something valuable.

Taking Ignis’s words as something positive, Prompto and Noctis wolfed down their eggs, much to Ignis’s chagrin. He sipped his coffee and finished his eggs at a leisurely pace, pleasantly surprised when both youths joined him in cleaning up.

“Okay, okay, we’re done,” Noctis announced as he looked around. “What do you have to show me?”

Ignis scoffed softly, though he was more amused than aggravated. “Come along,” he instructed, glancing at Gladio with a nod and the four of them left the apartment together. He said nothing further as he led them out of the building and towards the parking lot, and once Noctis realized where they were heading, he gasped and ran past the adviser.

“…No way!” Prompto exclaimed, joining the prince as they stared at the elegant car presumably awaiting them.

Noctis turned back to Ignis with wide eyes. “…Is he…” he tried before swallowing and looking back at the car. “He’s giving me the  _Regalia_?”

“Sweet ride…” Gladio commented with a low whistle as Ignis drew up alongside the prince with a nod.

“Your father advised me yesterday that he was rather impressed with your changes over the past few weeks,” he explained softly. “In between our reports to him and your vastly improving marks in your classes, he decided you were ready for this.” He gestured to the car. “Do be advised that I will be doing the driving until you have taken sufficient lessons from me. Are we clear?”

Noctis flushed but nodded and approached the car, running a hand along the side with a faint smile. “I never thought…” he whispered, almost to himself before he looked at Ignis. “Can we go for a ride?”

Ignis produced the keys from his pocket in response and smiled as Prompto let out a ‘whoop’.

“I call shotgun!”

“Princess can ride in the back with me, then,” Gladio commented with a grin, slinging an arm around the prince’s shoulders as Ignis shook his head and opened the door to get in the vehicle.

Once the others had climbed into the  _Regalia_ , Ignis glanced at each of them before he started the car and the engine roared to life. “Where shall we go, Noct?” he asked, twisting in his seat to look at the prince.

“Can we go out of the city?” the prince asked. “It’s been a long time and there’s a cool lookout spot right past the bridge.”

Ignis looked to Gladio and then Prompto. “Any objections?” he asked, both men shaking their heads in response. “The lookout it is, then.” He pressed a button to lower the roof of the  _Regalia,_ and proceeded to drive them out of the city.

Even though his knowledge of Insomnia and its layout were recent acquisitions, Ignis drove like he was a native and it wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the city and drove past the Wall.

“That’s the turn,” Noctis said, leaning forward to point past the front seat so Ignis could see.

“Sit back, Noctis,” the adviser instructed, glancing back with a smile as he turned onto the road that would take them to the lookout. He slowed up when the road turned from pavement to dirt, trying to avoid kicking up too much dust as they continued along. When the road finally ended, he parked the car and cut off the engine.

Noctis eagerly hopped out of the car and ran off towards the edge, Prompto chasing after him as Gladio and Ignis followed behind.

“Aw, dude, I should’ve brought my camera!”

“Next time, Prom.”

“It’s a nice view,” Gladio commented quietly from where he stood with Ignis. He slipped an arm around the slender man’s waist and closed his eyes at the feel of the wind. It made him long for his wings, made him long to fly. He hadn’t spent so much time without them before and it was starting to get to him in a way he didn’t like. “So, what’d you learn?”

Ignis inhaled slowly. “There is a prophecy,” he confirmed, eyes on the prince as he spoke, “which speaks of the Night before the Dawn. The Accursed who brings his Scourge.” He looked away from Noctis to find Gladio’s amber eyes on him. “If we fail, this Accursed brings the Eternal Night. If we succeed, Noctis will become the True King.”

“Okay, sounds easy enough,” Gladio said before he realized Ignis didn’t look happy. “…What? It’s not easy?”

“Gladio, do you… Do you not recognize the mention of the Scourge?”

Eyes narrowing, Gladio thought for a moment before he inhaled sharply and drew back. “…Daemons.”

Ignis nodded in confirmation. “Your lessons are not enough,” he said, looking back at Noctis and Prompto, who were holding hands and sitting down now. “I spoke with Cor, and the man Prompto mentioned to you – Nyx. Noctis can use the Power of Kings, the royal Armiger. He must learn to fight and fast.”

“What about Chocobo?” Gladio asked quietly, trying to hide the concern in his tone.

“His Majesty has granted us all access to this Armiger. As long as Prompto can prove himself with a weapon, he will be allowed to protect his prince.”

“What? All of us? Why?” Gladio asked in confusion, gaze snapping to the other man, who lifted a brow in silent inquiry. “The King believes the prophecy?”

Ignis nodded in reply. “From what I gather, His Majesty has tried to impress this upon Noctis for quite some time,” he replied, “but his warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Noctis just wanted a normal life.” A rueful smile crossed his face as Noctis pulled Prompto into a kiss. “His admittance of us into Noctis’s life was not chance, Gladio. We have found our purpose and King Regis recognizes us for what we are. He may not know we are Angels, but he sees we were sent to protect his son.”

“Iggy?” Noctis called, turning to look at the men standing behind him before stretching out his free hand. “What are you guys doing? Come on.”

Ignis offered a smile to Gladio, who still seemed stunned by what he’d just been told, and pulled away gently to take the prince’s hand and sit beside him. “Come along, Gladio.”

Blinking out of his daze, Gladio looked down and saw all three men looking at him. He offered a sheepish grin and sat down beside Prompto, resting back on his hands to stare off at the city in the near distance. It was quite a sight to behold in the haze of mid-morning, still partly shrouded in a mist the sun had yet to burn away.

As Prompto got comfortable against him and Noctis rested his head on Ignis’s shoulder, the two angels felt their hearts soften even further. Both found they wanted more time, more time before things turned serious, more time before the danger came. Even if they were meant to be with the two youths, their thoughts kept drifting back to what happened when this all ended.

Both Gladio and Ignis found that they didn’t want to leave.

 

* * *

 

They spent another hour at the lookout before Ignis insisted they return to the city, and it was nearing lunchtime when they returned to the complex. Ignis announced he would start lunch while Prompto and Noctis disappeared inside their apartment, and Ignis lifted an eyebrow when the door shut without another word.

“Seriously, where do they get the energy?” Gladio muttered, following Ignis to the kitchen as the other man chuckled softly.

“And I thought you were bad,” he murmured, reaching to bring Gladio into a kiss. “They put us to shame.”

Gladio smirked and returned the kiss before helping Ignis with lunch, a variant of a steak sandwich Noctis had mentioned liking but Ignis did not have all the ingredients for. Nevertheless, when the prince and Prompto reappeared from across the hall – both looking quite satisfied – Noctis was the first to notice the sandwiches and looked eager to try one.

Prompto and Gladio resumed their heated debate from breakfast, although Gladio was talking out of his ass as he’d never played a video game before, but he enjoyed how animated Prompto got about it. He ended up being called on his bluff when the blond dragged him across the hall after they’d finished eating, to go play a few rounds.

Ignis and Noctis joined after cleaning, just in time to see Prompto wiping the floor with Gladio’s character. Gladio glared up at Ignis when he heard the other man laugh, thrusting the controller at him.

“Laugh it up, let’s see you try.”

Lifting an eyebrow as he took the controller and sat beside Gladio, Ignis looked at the television as Prompto brought them to the character select screen. After choosing his character, they started the round, but no one expected Ignis to achieve such an easy victory so fast.

All eyes went to the adviser, Prompto’s jaw dropping in stunned surprise. “Dude…”

“My apologies, I’m a fast learner,” Ignis mused with a slight blush, handing the controller to Noctis as he conveniently avoided Gladio’s gaze.

 _Honestly, Gladio, stop staring_ , he chided mentally, glancing at the other man for an instant.  _I observed them playing back when we first started watching them._

Blinking in realization, Gladio eventually let out a laugh and shook his head in disbelief as he relaxed on the couch and watched Noctis and Prompto play. They both sat on the floor, cross-legged, tongues poking out their mouths in fierce concentration. Ignis eventually shifted to lean against Gladio, a hand lifting to idly play with the other man’s hair.

Gladio knew he didn’t want this to end. He didn’t have to look at Ignis to know he felt the same. Occasionally, Prompto would look up at him, then at Noctis, and with time, Gladio expected those looks would include Ignis too.

 

* * *

 

It was late when Gladio stole away to the rooftop. It was getting colder these days as winter approached, but the chill of the night air didn’t bother him as he walked across the building to its edge. He glanced around, ensuring that he was alone before he summoned his wings and dropped to one knee. He wanted to fly, feel the wind beneath him, in his hair, through his wings, but his priorities had changed. He couldn't waste that sort of time.

Fighting the temptation, he let his wings spread and bowed his head. “Please,” he said to no one. “Please don’t take this away from us.” He didn’t expect a response, and wasn’t surprised when silence answered him, but he brought his hands up anyway and pressed them to his chest. “I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to leave them. Ignis is too proud to pray, too proud to disobey, but he wants this too.”

Gladio winced. Maybe he shouldn’t speak for the other angel, even though he knew his words to be true. But he prayed and kept praying until he tired and his wings sagged. He finally rose to his feet as his wings disappeared from sight. He wiped an angry tear from his eye and turned to head back inside.

 

He didn’t know that Bahamut heard every word.

And he didn’t know Prompto was watching from the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because y'all are calling my boys sluts, no smut for you. jkjk (seriously tho is it too much?)
> 
> <3 poor gladio


	9. How It Bursts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they all talk it out.  
> except for noctis.

Prompto fell back away from the door, heart pounding in his chest as he tried to understand what he’d just seen. Gladio. Gladio had wings. _Real_ wings. It was such a sudden shock to the system that a full minute passed before he gasped in realization.

The feather! It had fallen in the hallway when they’d all been standing there!

It was Gladio’s?!

Holy shit, this was _REAL_?

How could this be real?

No, no, no, no, no, no. He was dreaming. Yeah, that explained it. Dreaming! He let out a nervous laugh before it faded into silence and reality sunk in. He knew he wasn’t dreaming; he’d known something was off this whole time.

He’d known ever since the dream of… oh _shit¸_ that was Gladio and Ignis fucking in the kitchen?

Prompto swallowed and tried to collect himself, tried to think rationally, but all that was gone, out the window. As unreal as all this was, there were few other explanations that supported why Gladio and Ignis were here, so suddenly, so easily, so…perfectly.

The young blond found himself going back to the door and watching as Gladio’s wings quivered, as if the big man were crying and Prompto knew. Even if this was a dream, even if this weren’t real, he still cared for Gladio. He still…felt something.

And when the wings disappeared and Gladio wiped something from wiped his face, Prompto pushed open the door as the big man turned to head inside.

Gladio froze like a deer in headlights and stared at Prompto with a mixture of shock and horror on his face. Prompto’s brain had the gall to be relieved that the other man had as bad a poker face as he did, but he shook the thought away and swallowed.

“Prompto…?”

“Dude…” the blond breathed in reply, taking a few steps forward before he realized he didn’t know what to say. He was torn between making a joke, stating the obvious, or just telling Gladio how flat out awesome the wings were. But he realized the big man looked scared, nearly terrified, and that bothered Prompto.

“I’m sorry,” he found himself saying after a moment. “…I-I didn’t mean to spy… I couldn’t sleep, again, and I thought I heard your door, so I went to look and saw you, so I followed. I’m sorry…”

“You saw.”

Prompto fell silent, dropping his head with a nod as guilt overcame him. “Gladio, they’re beautiful!” he exclaimed before he could help himself. “I mean, I guess you gotta kill me or something now that I know your secret, but… Before you do. They’re beautiful. _You’re_ beautiful.”

Gladio stared for a long moment before he huffed out a dry laugh and looked up at the sky. Was this the answer to his prayer? Or was he reading too much into things? When he looked down, Prompto was in front of him, staring up with eyes that pled not to be turned away.

“Do you have to kill me?”

Laughing again, Gladio closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t have to kill you.”

He wanted to berate himself for getting caught, but a part of him was relieved. He didn’t have to _hide_ anymore, but the more rational part of him reminded him that mortals were not supposed to know angels existed.

Why not? Gladio argued with himself. All of Eos knew about the Astrals, about Bahamut. Magic existed in this world. So why not Angels?

And if this meant failure, wouldn’t Gladio know?

A smile found its way back onto his face as he stared down at the blond in front of him before reaching to bring the younger man into his arms, kissing him.

“Show me,” Prompto whispered between kisses, pulling back to stare up into those amber eyes. “Please.”

Gladio considered this for a moment before he nodded and shrugged his shoulders. His wings exploded softly into view with a rustle of feathers, causing Prompto to gasp and stagger back in awe. He watched as Gladio bent the feathered appendages forward, cocooning Prompto within them and the blond smiled, brought to tears by the sheer sight. He reached out with one tentative hand, stroking the closest feather to him tenderly.

He didn’t expect Gladio to shiver at his touch. “Oh…” The shiver took Prompto by surprise and he pulled his hand away in concern before Gladio’s eyes met him and he understood. He held that gaze as he pressed his hand back against dark feathers, his touch as light as they as he slid his fingers up along the ridge of Gladio’s wing. Amber eyes fluttered shut until Gladio reached up and stopped Prompto’s hand, his breath shaky as he looked back at the younger man before him.

A moment passed between them until Prompto stepped closer and kissed the angel softly, letting his hands run up the length of the bigger man’s wings until he was cupping Gladio’s face. He had no idea wings could be… _sensitive_.

Gladio was still torn between the fear and the relief, but nothing could have prepared him for Prompto being so  _accepting_  of his reality. He pulled back from the kiss to look down at the blond before he made up his mind. He could only move forward from this. There was nothing to be done about Prompto seeing his true self, and if a punishment came, it was Gladio’s to bear.

“That’s why you and Ignis are here…” Prompto said in sudden realization, meeting Gladio’s gaze. “You really  _are_  here to protect, Noct, huh?”

Gladio nodded in reply. “You too, Chocobo.”

A blush tinged Prompto’s cheeks. “Me?” he squeaked, pointing to himself. “Psh, no.”

“Really,” Gladio assured with another nod, letting his fingers brush those pinking cheeks as they both smiled.

“What happens now?” Prompto asked after a brief silence passed. “Since you don’t have to kill me.” He smiled a little more before biting his lip. “I mean, do we tell Noct? Or even Ignis? He’ll be mad at me, huh.”

Surprised by those words, Gladio reached to take Prompto’s face into his hands when the younger man’s gaze dropped. “If he’s goin’ to be mad at anyone, it’s gonna be me,” he reassured with a smile, waiting for those violet-blue eyes to look back up at him.

“So we have to tell him?”

Gladio shrugged his shoulders, wings disappearing as he let a hand slide down to take one of Prompto’s. “I don’t keep things from him,” he replied. “I’m not about to start now. Especially about somethin’ like this.” He saw the worry in Prompto’s eyes and smiled again. “It’ll be fine, Chocobo. Come on.”

They headed back inside just as Prompto started to shiver a bit from the cold. “And Noct?”

“I’ll let Iggy decide,” Gladio said, glancing down at Prompto. “I think you and Iggy would be better suited on what to do about him.” He tilted his head. “What do you think?”

“I think he’ll be freaked,” Prompto admitted, looking ahead as he thought it over. “But he really likes you guys. He might be upset for a bit, but I think he’d get over it.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Gladio was silent as they headed back to the apartment, leading Prompto inside his own as he called out for Ignis. The other man emerged from the bedroom, shirtless and in pajama pants, and Prompto immediately tried not to drool as he looked away. He’d never seen Ignis in anything but his expensive-looking clothes.

Now his bare torso was exposed and way more defined than Prompto had given him credit for.

The fair-haired man squinted at them, realized Gladio was not alone and disappeared back into the bedroom. Returning with his glasses, he looked at Prompto and raised a brow. “Did something happen?” he asked as he approached before a knowing expression overcame his face and he stiffened. “Oh.”

Prompto flushed in embarrassment, both his gaze and head dropping. “I’m sorry, Ignis,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to…”

“Hey, stop that,” Gladio said, gently tugging on the blond’s hand before he let go to ruffle his hair. He looked back at Ignis with a sigh. “He saw me, Iggy.”

Neither Ignis or his eyebrow moved. “And how, exactly, did that happen, Gladiolus?”

Gladio rolled his eyes at his name and he tried not to sigh, but then he realized he had to admit why he was up on the roof and it was his turn to blush. “I was, uh, on the roof,” he admitted after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “…Praying.”

But Ignis’s expression changed. Both fine eyebrows lifted in surprise before the surprise turned into sympathy, and then understanding. He stepped forward and embraced the bigger man, a soft smile on his lips.

“Oh, Gladio,” he murmured softly.

“Do ya think he’s my answer?” Gladio asked, jerking his head towards Prompto, who was staring apprehensively at the two of them.

“Perhaps,” Ignis answered truthfully with a soft shrug as he looked to the young blond.

“I’m sorry, Ignis,” Prompto said again, wringing his hands together as he bit his lip and looked down again.

“Whatever for, darling?” Ignis asked as he turned from Gladio to face Prompto. “For discovering our secret?” He laughed softly and walked over to the younger man, reaching with a gloveless hand to lift Prompto’s chin. “While I am not surprised that it was Gladio who dropped the ball—”

Gladio huffed in response and Ignis smiled.

“—The fact of the matter is now you know the truth and we cannot go back. It is useless to worry about it.” He let his thumb brush over Prompto’s pale freckled skin and smiled. “We’re not to show ourselves, we are to take precautions, but accidents happen.” He glanced at Gladio. “And as far as things go, it…it is entirely possible you were meant to know.”

When his gaze returned to Prompto, the blond seemed a bit more at ease and he nodded up at Ignis. “What about Noctis?”

Sighing, Ignis glanced back at Gladio, who shook his head. “You guys are closer to him than me,” the big man said. “I think he should know, but…your call, Iggy.”

Ignis thought over the issue for a long moment and then looked at Prompto. “He would be upset, I imagine,” he posed, receiving a nod from the blond in response. “But I imagine he would come to terms with it in time.”

“And I don’t think it would take that long,” Prompto said.

“So, it matters more about _how_ we tell him,” Gladio realized as the others looked to him with nods of agreement.

“Well, we shall give it some thought, and I suppose try and break this to him sometime tomorrow,” Ignis announced after a few moments of silence. “For now, we should get some rest, especially before he notices your absence, Prompto, and comes looking again.”

Prompto blushed with a slight nod, turning to go before he hesitated and looked back at Ignis. “…Um, would it be inappropriate to ask to see yours, too?”

Lifting an eyebrow, Ignis turned to Gladio, who could only shrug in faux-exasperation as he failed to hide the smirk on his face. The humor infected Ignis after a few seconds and he couldn’t help a smile as he turned back to Prompto.

“As you wish,” he murmured, pressing a hand to his chest with a polite bow before shrugging his shoulders.

As his brilliant wide wings emerged into view behind him, Prompto gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. “Oh, oh  _Six_ ,” he breathed, wide-eyed. “Iggy, you were  _meant_  to have wings, dude.”

Ignis laughed. Not his typical, polite laugh, but the kind that took over his whole face, and truly came from the heart. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the younger man’s forehead, shaking his own head gently. “Go to bed, darling,” he whispered kindly, meeting Prompto’s gaze before the younger man smiled and nodded.

The two angels watched him go before Ignis sighed and rubbed at his forehead.

“You really okay with this, Iggy?” Gladio asked quietly as he stepped to his lover’s side.

“…There is no use worrying about any of this now,” was Ignis’s reply as he glanced at Gladio. “We will not know the consequences until our duty is finished here. And that is all that matters, Gladio. Our duty to the True King.”

Gladio nodded, feeling a little solemn at hearing those words, but he smirked a little and looked at Ignis’s still visible wings. “Hey, Iggy,” he murmured, reaching with a hand to let his fingers stroke down the length of one wing. He watched Ignis’s eyes flutter as the other man pursed his lips and tried not to let himself react, but failed and a breathy moan escaped his lips.

With a grin, Gladio tugged Ignis back into the bedroom and shut the door.

 

* * *

 

Naturally, Prompto did not sleep much that night and woke up a little too high-strung for his own good the following morning. Even Noctis noticed something was off, but Prompto assured him everything was fine a little  _too_  quickly.

It was Sunday, they still had the weekend to enjoy, but Gladio announced at breakfast they would train for a bit today and start with weapons.

“What? Why?” Noctis asked as he forked some eggs onto his toast.

“Why not?” Gladio countered, lifting an eyebrow.

“Because I don’t need to learn how to use a sword,” the prince muttered like it was obvious, biting into his toast as Gladio and Ignis shared a look.

“Dude, come on!” Prompto encouraged from his side, but fidgeted so badly, he dropped his fork and eggs were flung into his face.

Noctis wanted to laugh – Gladio certainly did – but in between Prompto being weird and the out-of-place announcement from Gladio, he knew something was up.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

The tension that followed was almost immediate as Ignis approached the table and feigned ignorance, although Gladio and Prompto looked guilty as sin. “What do you mean, Noct?”

“Don’t, don’t do that,” the prince answered, shaking his head and pushing his plate away. “I’m not stupid. What is going on?”

“Dear me, we  _really_  need to work on you two,” Ignis muttered with a glance to Gladio and Prompto before he shook his head and sighed. “Well, I suppose the best way to explain is to be straightforward. There is something we need to discuss.”

Noctis studied all three of his friends before a realization dawned on him and he abruptly stood up from the table. “I knew it,” he said, eyes narrowing. “My dad is behind all this, isn’t he? You guys moving in, Gladio being a bodyguard, you a retainer, the training. All of it. He’s still on about this dumb prophecy?”

Ignis’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, although a part of him realized how easily the pieces fit. It was a rather fair assumption to make, but he shook his head. “No, Noctis,” he answered as calmly as he could manage without sounding patronizing. “Although it pains me to hear this was a thought in your head for what I guess was our entire time here, the truth is more complicated than that, I’m afraid.”

Prompto reached for Noctis’s hand from where he sat. “Noct, you…you need to let them show you,” he pleaded softly but Noctis jerked his hand away.

“No!” the prince shouted as he moved away from the table, furious. “I won’t listen to any of this stupid prophecy bullshit!” He turned to the door, but was stunned to find Gladio blocking his way.

“Why?” the big man asked, crossing his arms. “Why are you still refusin’ to listen?”

Noctis looked from Gladio to Prompto to Ignis, upset that they weren’t on his side. “Do you know what that stupid prophecy says?” he shouted, angry tears in his eyes. “It says some guy is going to come try to kill me, and if he succeeds, the world plunges into darkness. But I have to stop him and become king?” His voice was shaking and he clenched his hands into fists to hide the fact he was trembling. “It’s  _stupid!_ ”

And then Ignis realized the truth. He lifted his gaze from Noctis and found Gladio already looking at him, nodding to show he understood as well.

Noctis was afraid.

The big guy reached forward and brought Noctis into a firm, safe embrace and the prince broke out into tears.

“I am sorry, Noctis,” Ignis said as he came around the table to stand behind the young man. He hesitated for a second, then placed his hands on the young prince’s back as he closed his eyes.

Prompto choked back as gasp as he watched a light begin glowing underneath Ignis’s hands. His brilliant white wings burst from his back in response to the use of his powers, but Noctis calmed in Gladio’s hold and pulled back in surprise.

“…I…I’ve felt this before,” Noctis murmured in surprise, looking up at Gladio in confusion before he noticed the light and turned his head to look at Ignis. He spotted the wings and jerked away in shock, pressing back against Gladio with an astonished look on his face.

“Easy, kid,” Gladio soothed softly, gently gripping the younger man’s shoulders before he could bolt.

“…As I said,” Ignis whispered, the rare timbre of nerves in his voice. “The truth is more complicated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3333 Thank you all so much for your support :)


	10. How it Heals and How it Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> noctis and ignis talk.  
> gladio and ignis fight.
> 
> and the darkness begins.

Noctis said nothing, his breath coming in quick, panicked bursts as he stared in what Ignis took to be horror, instead of awe like Prompto. For the first time in a long time, Ignis felt ashamed and he bowed his head in apology as he shrugged his shoulders and hid his wings.

“Gladio, let him go,” he instructed quietly.

Staring in disbelief at the other angel, Gladio hesitated a moment before he released Noctis’s shoulders and stepped to the side. Sure enough, the instant those hands let go of him, the prince turned and bolted out the door without hesitation, leaving the three men in an uncomfortable silence.

“I-I’m sorry,” Prompto apologized from the table as his shoulders slumped. “I can’t keep a secret to save my life.”

“This is hardly your fault, Prompto,” Ignis assured quietly from where he stood. “There were things we did not account for. Such as Noct’s actual feelings regarding the prophecy. Instead of asking him, we obtained our information from others. We did not account for his fear, for his aversion to it, and blamed his attitude on immaturity and irresponsibility instead.”

“…I had no idea, guys,” Prompto said, looking distraught as he got up. “…H-he never told me that he felt that way. He always harped about how stupid it was and how we didn’t live in an age with prophecies. I just…I never saw his fear for what it was. I’m sorry.”

“Prompto.” Ignis placed a hand on the blond’s shoulder and looked at him. “Calm down, please. It serves us little to dwell on regrets right now. We must decide on how to handle this and quickly.” He glanced up at Gladio, who nodded to show his support. “Prompto, would you know where he would go to be alone after something like this?”

Blinking at the unexpected question, Prompto nodded after a second. “Y-yeah, he really loves fishing,” he stammered.

“There aren’t any places to fish in Insomnia, are there?” Ignis inquired with a frown.

Prompto shook his head. “No, not in the city,” he said, “he’d go to the aquarium.”

Lifting an eyebrow as he glanced at Gladio, Ignis returned his attention to the blond. “…You are certain of this?”

When Prompto nodded without hesitation, Ignis immediately moved to get his things, including the keys to the _Regalia_. “Leave this to me,” he instructed as he approached the door, pausing as he took in a deep breath. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of failing here, but he wasn’t sure if there was anything he could say to Noctis that the younger man would be willing to hear.

The look in those frightened blue eyes was one Ignis never wanted to see again.

 

* * *

 

Fortunately for Noctis, the aquarium had few visitors when he arrived. He ducked inside and made his way to one of his favorite spots – a back room where they kept the room dark and the tanks provided the only light as the fish swam around. He took a seat on one of the benches in the rear corner and buried his face in his hands.

The walk, well the _run_ , to the aquarium helped clear his mind just a bit, but now that he was alone again, with only his thoughts to accompany him, the image of Ignis with wings spread wide flashed in his mind.

It bothered him less to see Ignis that way, and more that this all meant the prophecy was becoming more and more real. A reality he didn’t want to face.

He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to fight. He just wanted to be normal. When did it get decided for him what he was supposed to do? Where was he when the decision was made? It wasn’t fair that he didn’t get a say in this at all.

Did it make him a coward? To be afraid? Or did it just make him _human_?

It took a while for Noctis to realize he wasn’t alone and hadn’t been for some time. He tensed at the presence that seemed to materialize at his side as Ignis sat down on the bench next to him, eyes on the tank. His first instinct was to run, put distance between himself and the thing upsetting him, but the look of shame he’d seen in the other man’s eyes kept him from moving.

Their relationship was still forming, still growing – did Noctis really want to throw it all away? But the rational part of him was quick to remind Noctis that the other man _had wings_ and he almost laughed. How was _that_ rational?

“May we speak, Noctis?” Ignis asked softly, folding his hands in his lap. He inclined his head towards the young prince but did not move any closer or look at him.

Noctis realized he was still trying to process how the other man had found him, but decided in the grand scheme of things, that really didn’t matter. He glanced up at the tank in front of him, watched a few fish swim by, and finally nodded in reply. He felt Ignis relax a little and tried to fight the guilt that surfaced as a result.

Although he believed his outburst and anger were justified, he couldn’t help feeling that this wasn’t exactly Ignis’s fault. And even if the responsibility did rest upon the other man, Ignis had been nothing but kind and caring, if not a little stern at times.

“I will only steer this conversation where you wish it to go,” Ignis said after a few more moments of silence passed. “Shall I explain myself or would you prefer to ask me questions?”

Noctis pulled his legs up onto the bench and hugged his knees. “You talk,” he muttered as he buried his face.

“Ah.” Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose, relieved the prince was giving him the opportunity to speak at all. “Then, I shall get right to the point.” He took a breath, wondering why this was so hard, but a part of him knew.

He cared for Noctis. Maybe even… He shook his head and pushed the thought away to concentrate on the matter at hand.

“Gladio and I were sent here, yes, but not by your father, Noctis. By…by Bahamut.” The prince’s head snapped to look at him. “You saw back at the apartment. I am an angel, as is Gladio. We were sent to protect you because you are in danger.” He saw the fear return to those blue eyes and reached, tentatively, to cover Noctis’s hand with his own.

“Our intention was never to mislead you, Noctis,” Ignis continued after a moment. “And while I understand your fear, truly I do, I must implore you to let us help you. It is why we are here. Trust us.”

Noctis didn’t say anything for several minutes. His gaze shifted to the tank and back to Ignis at those final words, mind reeling at the implications of the angel’s confession. He didn’t want to give in, didn’t want to admit his fear, but he knew at some point he had to stop this. He knew he had to grow up at some point, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was his fate was being decided for him and he refused to give in to the fact that that was beyond his control.

“How are you supposed to protect me?” he finally asked, voice muffled by his knees as he stared at the tank in front of him. “I’m the one that’s supposed to stop this guy.”

“I do not have that answer, Noctis,” Ignis answered truthfully with a shake of his head. “But I believe in what I do know, and that is our knowledge, and our power. We can prepare you, we can teach you. This Accursed may be your responsibility, but you will not face it alone.” He braved to reach for Noctis’s face and gently turn it towards him. “I truly am sorry for betraying your trust on so serious a matter. I swear on everything holy, that was not my intention. I have cherished every moment I have spent with you, I wish to cherish more.”

“Damn it,” Noctis breathed, emotions welling up inside of him as he pushed past his anger and into Ignis. He grabbed the angel by his nice shirt and pulled him forward, kissing him with a frightened desperation that screamed for consolation. He wanted to be angry, but he found that he couldn’t be anymore.

Ignis was genuine. He was pure. Noctis believed every word that came out of his mouth and as aggravating as that was, he knew the angel truly hadn’t meant to upset him. He believed Ignis and Gladio could and would protect him.

And he knew he had to learn to protect himself. He didn’t want to believe this fight was coming, but no one would take care of it for him. And if it truly was approaching, Noctis feared being unprepared more.

He understood his foolishness now. He thought for so long that it would be him. Alone. Facing this Accursed, but… He wasn’t alone anymore.

The kiss deepened. Ignis gave the prince everything he had to console him but couldn’t use his powers in public to give Noctis the calm he needed. He held the younger man close, whispered sweet reassuring words between kisses as his fingers stroked dark locks soothingly.

Noctis all but keened under those touches and whispers, nuzzling Ignis as he briefly thought to berate himself for giving in so easily. He wanted more, but restrained himself as he pulled back and met Ignis’s gaze.

“Let’s go back,” the prince urged softly. “I’m sure Prom is freaking out right now.”

Ignis smiled in reply, nodding. “He was rather worried.”

“Oh,” Noctis grimaced as he got to his feet, then turned to offer his hand to Ignis.

Still smiling, the angel accepted and stood as well, leaving the aquarium with the prince at his side. They stepped outside under darkening skies, and Ignis glanced up to study the clouds for a moment. “Looks like rain.”

Noctis glanced up too before they both hurried back to the _Regalia_ and drove back to the apartments. The drive was short, but by the time they reached their destination, it was beginning to sprinkle. Together, they hurried inside and Noctis found he couldn’t take his eyes off Ignis.

Now that the drama was over, now that his fear was subsiding and being replaced with hope, his heart found it easier to accept the truth he was being faced with. He wanted to see those wings again, he wanted to know what Ignis – and Gladio – were capable of. He wanted to see this all through to the end, and then beyond.

When they reached the apartment and entered, Noctis had barely taken a step inside when Prompto launched himself onto the prince and refused to let go. “I was so worried!” the blond gasped into the other youth’s neck.

“Sorry, Prom,” Noctis said in reply, holding Prompto close with a gentle shake of his head before his boyfriend jerked back.

“So you know!” he exclaimed excitedly, quickly moving on. “You know about Ignis and Gladio now!”

“Yeah…” Noctis glanced at Gladio when he realized the bigger man was staring and he felt his cheeks get warm. “…I guess I owe you guys an apology, too.”

“Don’t worry about it, Princess,” Gladio said with a wave of his hands. “We get it. What’s more important is that we stop wastin’ time and get you ready.”

Noctis couldn’t stop the pit of fear that formed in his stomach, but he let out a breath and nodded. “Yeah.”

Ignis was a breath away from saying no, from saying they should wait one more day and let this day be a day they spent together as…whatever it was they were, but he knew more than anyone, the importance of not wasting time. He stepped past the prince to begin cleaning up their remnants of breakfast, only to find the table already cleaned. He looked at Gladio in surprise, finding the other angel grinning with Prompto at his side sharing a similar expression.

They seemed quite proud of themselves. And hell, Ignis was too.

 

* * *

 

“I wanna see how Iggy fights,” Noctis commented as they stepped into the training room at the Citadel, looking over his shoulder at the angel behind him.

Ignis lifted an eyebrow as he regarded the prince, hearing the challenge in that tone as he reached to touch Gladio’s arm. “Shall we?” he asked, turning his head to look at Gladio, who smirked and nodded.

“We shall.”

 

It was later that afternoon when they decided to head to the Citadel at Gladio’s request. The four of them had taken some time to decompress after their hectic morning, and the light rain had turned into a decent storm. So while Noctis and Prompto napped, Gladio and Ignis talked while watching the rain.

But Noctis transformed in those few hours. He went from angry, to sad, to determined. Ignis could see the fire in those blue eyes now, he saw a fierceness that wasn’t there before and he truly believed the prince had had a change of heart.

The two angels stepped out onto the floor together while Gladio retrieved practice weapons for both. He tossed one to Ignis and twirled his own in his other hand as he glanced at the two youths watching. “You might wanna sit down.”

To his surprise, both Noctis and Prompto did, as if they knew what they were in for. Gladio let out a chuckle before he turned to face Ignis on the floor and took his position. Ignis did the same before they nodded to each other and burst into action. Both men flew across the floor towards each other, weapons poised and ready before dull blades met and sounded with a loud _clack_ throughout the large chamber.

In an instant, they drew back, changed positions and struck again, every movement fluid and planned. It was so natural, so skilled, that it almost looked intentional, choreographed, but they were too fast, too calculated. And there could only be one winner.

 

“It’s going to be Ignis, Prom, I swear.”

“No way, dude!” Prompto protested, eyes fixed on the fight. “Gladio has all that power! Look at him!”

Noctis’s eyes never left Ignis and he found himself smiling. “Yeah, but Ignis…” He trailed off and his smile grew. “Ignis is better.”

“That isn’t an argument!”

And just as they placed their “bets”, the dynamic in the fight shifted. Ignis began dodging more and more of Gladio’s rather aggressive strikes. He was lithe and nimble as he twisted away and jabbed with his weapon in the openings his partner gave. He had yet to strike Gladio, but it was clear he was simply biding his time before—

— _WHACK_!

With the flat side of his practice weapon, Ignis struck Gladio in the side, causing the other man to drop his weapon in surprise. He let out a grunt and grabbed the spot where Ignis hit him as he staggered away.

Prompto let out a gasp and got to his feet, running to Gladio’s aid as if the big man was actually hurt.  Gladio ate up the blond’s concern and feigned actual injury, earning a scoff from Ignis as he watched with a shake of his head.

“Unbelievable.”

“I knew you’d win,” said a voice from his side and Ignis turned to look at the young prince with a smile.

“Regretting your choice in bodyguard?”

Noctis laughed a little but shook his head. “Just because you’re better doesn’t make him bad,” he reasoned as he looked at Gladio and Prompto. The blond was in the process of rubbing the spot where Gladio had been hit and the big guy was muttering something under his breath to the younger man that was making him blush and giggle.

“How right you are,” Ignis agreed as he bent down to steal a kiss from the young prince. “Gladio, if you’re finished vying for pity, perhaps you’d be ready to start our actual lessons with His Highness?”

“I’m not vyin’ for pity,” Gladio protested from the floor. “Prom’s makin’ me feel better.”

Prompto perked up with a grin, but when Ignis gave both him and Gladio a _look_ , they grinned sheepishly and got to their feet.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon practicing and training, and afterwards, Noctis showed them the power of the Armiger and how to use it. Ignis was relieved to see the young prince able to summon the dizzying array of weapons, knowing that would make things easier in the long run.

Outside more rain moved in and Ignis couldn’t help noticing when the thunder and lightning grew more frequent. Something about the storm bothered him, and he couldn’t help wondering if it was a sign.

 

* * *

 

It was far outside the Wall of Insomnia that the darkness took form, that the stain upon the earth grew, and from the shadows, he stepped forward. As the rain grew heavier, as the night deepened, he stretched out his hand and summoned his daemons.

And Ardyn, the Accursed, threw back his head and let the rain pour down upon him. It would not wash away the black that stained his skin, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He spread his arms as the daemons cried out, and his laughter joined their shrieks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit's about to get real y'all.
> 
> <3


	11. How it Courses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> training starts.  
> noctis has a thing for wings.  
> and they are called to the citadel.

The rain continued for several days.

Ignis sensed the change, but didn’t know how to confirm the suspicion growing inside of him that their time was running out. He studied the weather, he prayed, he did everything he knew how to do, but nothing became clear.

Gladio drilled Noctis and Prompto hard, found their strong suits and focused on them. It was only on that fourth day that Prompto admitted he wasn’t strong with melee weapons, and used to practice ranged ones as a kid, so Ignis took over his training. They tried his specialty – daggers – but Prompto’s true calling was a surprising one: firearms.

It was also on that fourth day that Noctis admitted something he’d conveniently forgotten to mention up until then – warping.

The first time he performed a warp-strike across the room, even Prompto jumped in surprise. “Dude!” he shouted, shock written across his face as both Gladio and Ignis blinked in bewilderment.

“When were you going to tell us about this?” Ignis asked as they approached Noctis, who looked both embarrassed and a little pleased at their reactions.

“It, uh, didn’t come up?” the prince managed sheepishly in reply as Gladio wrapped an arm around his neck and gave him a noogie.

“Didn’t come up…” the big guy repeated as Noctis flailed in his vice-like hold.

“Oh, Gladio, behave,” Ignis chided as he shook his head while Gladio released Noctis. “This is good news, albeit delayed news.” He smiled at the prince as a rumble of thunder sounded outside.

Noctis relaxed a little. “Sorry, Iggy.”

Ignis dismissed the apology with a soft smile and a wave of his hand. “Let’s not dwell on apologies,” he said. “We must change our approach to your lessons, however.”

 

They spent the remainder of the afternoon tweaking the prince’s training, while Ignis had Prompto focusing on target practice with a firearm. He still couldn’t believe how natural the blond was at it, but was pleased nonetheless. He knew their time was running out, he knew the prince would not be ready when the Accursed showed his face, so every little bit of luck that turned up in their favor Ignis planned to take.

He couldn’t help wondering if there was anything they could’ve done to jumpstart this sooner, but something assured him that this was how things were meant to work out. That somehow, if they’d chosen any other path, the prince would be less ready, less willing, and less receptive to change.

 

They left to return to the apartments so that Ignis could start supper. Gladio and Prompto decided to go play video games while they waited, but Noctis opted to join Ignis while the angel cooked. His hair was a little wet still from running through the rain, and he didn’t realize it was making him shiver until Ignis approached him with a towel.

“Here,” the taller man said as he reached to gently dry the prince’s hair. Their gazes met as he worked his magic and Noctis couldn’t help himself as he leaned up and kissed Ignis softly.

It stayed soft for a second until Noctis deepened it and tugged Ignis closer by his lapels. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled and instead of cooking dinner, Ignis found himself pressing Noctis into the wall with a growl.

“Iggy, I want to see them,” Noctis breathed as they pulled apart, licking his swelling lips as he panted.

Ignis blinked in surprise, adjusting his glasses for a second until he realized what the prince was asking for. He pursed his lips, as if in disapproval, but nodded and began taking off his jacket, followed by his shirt.

“…Why are you undressing to do it?” Noctis asked in confusion. “You didn’t have to before.”

Ignis quirked an eyebrow. “I presumed this was to end in bed, Highness,” he answered. “Better I get a head start now, mm?”

Noctis grinned a little, nodding as he helped Ignis out of his shirt before the other man shrugged his shoulders and his wings exploded into view. The prince couldn’t help a soft gasp, even though he was expecting the sight, eyes wide.

There was a soft blush on Ignis’s cheeks as Noctis moved forward as if to embrace him, but stroked the feathers within his reach instead. He was delighted to see the way Ignis’s eyes fluttered at the touch, curious enough to keep going until the angel said otherwise.

“Are they really that sensitive?” he asked, voice a whisper.

“They are not meant to be touched,” Ignis explained in reply, feeling those hands pull away. He opened his eyes to find Noctis staring up at him in worry. “Don’t stop.”

The concern vanished from the prince’s eyes as he curled a finger in a silent command which had Ignis curling a wing forward for the younger man to touch. Noctis studied the feathered appendage in awe before his fingers drifted over the longer feathers in slow, soft strokes. Their gazes locked as Noctis’s fingers traveled up to the shorter feathers, then along the ridge of the wing.

Ignis’s breath was coming out quicker now, and when Noctis pressed forward to kiss him deeply, he felt those hands stroke the skin between his wings and he broke away to gasp as a ripple of pleasure rolled out from that touch. He was embarrassingly hard as he panted against Noctis’s lips, but the prince seemed pleased by what he had learned.

“I take it you don’t do this much with Gladio, huh?”

Ignis blushed, but his brain had turned to mush and it was all he could do to manage a gentle shake of his head. There was no need to explain anyway. He shrugged his shoulders so his wings vanished, and slipped his hands down to hoist Noctis up. The prince was quick to respond by wrapping his legs around Ignis’s waist, and the angel carried him into the bedroom without another moment’s hesitation.

After gently depositing the prince on the bed, Ignis moved to the nightstand to get what they would need as Noctis scrambled to undress. Hardly erotic, but Ignis appreciated the enthusiasm. He undid his belt and stepped rather gracefully out of his pants before climbing over Noctis on the bed and kissing him deeply.

It had been quite some time since Ignis had been on top, but it didn’t stop him from being able to sensually ready the young prince’s body for him. He lubed his fingers and prepared Noctis, kissing him as he felt fingers stroking that spot on his back. It wasn’t quite the same without his wings out, but the intention was enough. He met Noctis’s gaze and smiled as he slipped a third finger inside and watched those eyes flutter shut with a pleasured moan.

Ignis took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand before he grabbed a condom and got himself ready. Noctis waited impatiently, spreading his legs as he bit his lip and squirmed a little as he watched with lidded eyes.

“Iggy, take them back out…”

Glancing up in surprise, Ignis hesitated, but he wasn’t sure why. He supposed it was mainly because he wasn’t used to it. He wetted his lips but nodded as he got into position between the prince’s legs and pushed in with a shrug of his shoulders – his wings sprouted into view as he pushed inside, and he hoped the effect was worth it.

Sure enough, a needy moan escaped the prince’s lips as he arched. Ignis felt overwhelmed for a brief second, in between the glorious tight warmth of Noctis and the feeling of his wings, he bent over to kiss the younger man as he thrust deep and set a leisurely rhythm.

With Ignis close enough, Noctis reached around and touched that spot between the angel’s wings as they moved together. The noise it elicited from Ignis was one Noctis _definitely_ wanted to hear again. His legs moved to wrap around the other man’s waist as he rolled his hips to meet those thrusts and make that warm cock inside of him go deeper.

Pleasure coursed through the prince in waves as he reached to brace himself on the headboard with his free hand while the other continued stroking what he could of Ignis’s wings and the spot between them. The angel shuddered atop him before he sat up and gripped Noctis’s hips, his thrusts turning deeper and more intense. The way his hips snapped against the prince’s had Noctis shouting in pleasure, mouth agape, head tilted back. His hands scrambled for purchase on Ignis’s body, but failed and scratched his tanned, muscled chest instead.

Ignis’s wings extended and twitched with each thrust, the man lost to the pleasure of fucking Noctis and having his wings out. Gladio never told him _this_ was why. It almost made things… _better._

Wanting to let himself come untouched lost to the sight of Ignis atop him, wings spread wide, and Noctis wrapped a firm hand around himself and stroked generously. The pleasure turned electric, his body tensing deliciously in preparation of what was to come.

“Come for me, Noctis,” Ignis encouraged, voice low and thick with arousal. He opened his eyes to meet Noctis’s gaze before leaning down to kiss the prince, letting that spot between his wings come within reach of the other man.

As if on cue, Noctis reached with his free hand to stroke that spot knowingly, in time with the hand on his cock and the thrusts inside of him. Ignis felt the rhythm, shifted to match it and their orgasms built together until Noctis was coming with a shout and Ignis right behind him.

The overstimulation of that tightness clenching around him while those fingers stroked that spot between his wings was almost too much for Ignis. He arched hard, pressed deep until he was completely spent, wings extended completely across the room. Another jerk of his hips and his wings and Ignis collapsed onto Noctis’s sticky torso.

A weak shrug of his shoulders and Ignis’s wings vanished from sight as he felt hands in his hair. Tilting his head up, Ignis found Noctis watching him in concern and he offered a tired smile of reassurance. He carefully shifted up to kiss the young prince and pulled out gently to get them cleaned up, but he found himself too tired to do much else besides dispose of the condom.

“…Shall we order pizza?”

 

* * *

 

They had just finished eating when Noctis’s phone rang. The prince frowned as he picked up his mobile and glared at it, answering it as he wandered away from the others.

“Cor?” he asked. “What do you want?” A pause. “Sorry.” Another pause and his frown deepened. “…Okay. I’ll tell the others…”

When he hung up, all eyes were on him in a mixture of concern and confusion. “That was Cor,” he announced hesitantly. “He says, um, something’s happened. We need to report to the Citadel at once.”

Ignis and Gladio exchanged looks before the adviser nodded and rose to his feet. “Get your things,” he instructed as he moved to clean up the remnants of their dinner. He was pleased to see all three of them helping before they went to get their things as told. They were ready to go within a couple of minutes, rushing out into pouring rain to the awaiting _Regalia_.

The car ride to the Citadel was tense. Ignis met Gladio’s gaze in the rearview mirror several times, as if they both knew their time had run out and they would hear the news they’d been dreading this entire time.  Prompto and Noctis sat in ignorant bliss, but the prince could read the air between the two angels and knew this couldn’t be good.

They pulled up before the grand steps and hurried inside to find Cor and Nyx waiting for them. The two Crownsguards led the prince and his entourage into the throne room as the King rose to his feet and descended the steps.

“Noctis, my son,” he said in a tense voice as he glanced to the others. “I am afraid I have some…troublesome news.”

The prince tensed as Prompto’s hand found his own and squeezed silently in encouragement.

“We have received reports from outside the Wall and its surrounding areas,” Regis continued as he reached the bottom of the steps and approached Noctis. “Daemons have been reported and from the sounds of it, they are multiplying each night. The rain has masked their arrival and growth, but…it appears the time has come…”

Noctis’s expression tightened, but another squeeze of Prompto’s hand and the presence of Ignis behind him gave the prince pause. His eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he let out a breath and nodded. “…What are we to do, father?”

There was a hint of surprise in Regis’s eyes, but he managed to keep himself in check and the surprise turned into a pride he didn’t conceal. He glanced at Ignis and Gladio as if in thanks before he continued his approach towards Noctis.

“I know your training has only just begun,” he said as he reached his son and placed a hand on one of Noctis’s shoulders, “but we have run out of time. I believe you have what you need to do what needs to be done. You must go and find the Accursed and stop him as it is written. I believe in _you_ , son.”

Noctis looked up in surprise before he glanced at Prompto, who was offering him a smile of support. Two more hands appeared on his other shoulder and Noctis turned to find both Gladio and Ignis smiling down at him as well. He couldn’t even begin to describe how he felt. Instead of fear, instead of dread, Noctis felt…determined.

He wasn’t even scared of being unprepared. He knew that with their help, he could do what he was setting out to do. A part of him couldn’t believe it. How had he gone from such fear to such courage? In the end, he understood. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio were lending him their strength until he found his own, and Noctis was finally starting to grab hold of it.

Reaching up, Noctis placed a hand on his father’s shoulder and nodded. “I won’t let you down.”

 

* * *

 

The rain let up by the time the four of them departed the Citadel, much to their relief. Ignis and Gladio carried packages the king had gifted them with to be opened at a later time.

“We leave in the morning,” Ignis was instructing as they got in the car and drove back to the apartments. “I suggest you pack well, but please do not overdo it. This is not a weekend excursion, mind you.”

“Pack?” Prompto asked from the passenger seat before he glanced back at Noctis and Gladio. “Where are we going?”

“We cannot expect to find the Accursed on the first day,” Ignis replied. “Perhaps the fates will be with us and we will, but we should plan for several days of searching. King Regis has contacts who will aid us in Hammerhead. Most of the reports have come from that area, so it is a good place for us to start looking.”

“Hammerhead? That’s in the middle of _nowhere_.”

Ignis lifted an eyebrow as he glanced in the rearview mirror at Noctis. “I suggest we not waste time while we are out there, then.”

Gladio grinned from where he sat, reaching to pat the prince’s shoulder. “I am an _excellent_ camper,” he advised as Noctis frowned at him.

“Noct isn’t a big fan of the outdoors, buddy,” Prompto explained from the front seat as he turned to face them. “But I’m all about this roadtrip.”

“Must I repeat myself?” Ignis admonished as he pulled up to their complex. “This is not a—”

“—Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time, Iggy,” Gladio cut in, giving his lover a look. “But we might as well make the best of it, too, huh?”

Parking the car, Ignis took Gladio’s words to heart and relaxed slightly before he nodded. “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” he agreed softly as they got out of the _Regalia_ and headed inside.

“Not to mention, we don’t really need to pack, Iggy,” Gladio commented as they followed Prompto and Noctis into their apartment.

“Well, King Regis supplied us with some gear and I can pack some of what we will need for food and toiletries, but no, I suppose not,” Ignis agreed with a soft sigh.

“You okay?” Gladio asked with a tilt of his head, stopping to face the other angel while Noctis and Prompto grabbed bags out of the closet and headed into their rooms to pack.

“Just worried, Gladio,” Ignis replied softly, glancing at the other man. “I worry we did not move fast enough, that we took too long getting Noctis ready for this.” He reached to pinch the bridge of his nose and sighed again. “He has to fulfill the prophecy, not us. What if he fails? I worry we failed to consider the entire picture here. This isn’t just Noctis we are talking about here. Bahamut essentially entrusted us with the fate of the world and I never stopped to consider that before.”

Gladio blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Ignis to unload all of that on him, but he offered a smile and brought the other man into a firm embrace. “Calm down, Iggy,” he rumbled as he felt Ignis’s arms hold him in return. “We’re not out of time just yet.”

Ignis nodded his agreement and stepped back after a moment, fixing his shirt before he headed into Noctis’s room to help the prince while Gladio went to check on Prompto. They spent a couple of hours getting everything together before Ignis insisted on an early night so they could all get some rest before leaving in the morning.

 

Although neither he nor Gladio needed to rest, they did anyway. Gladio was already asleep by the time Ignis made his final check of what they’d packed and was heading into the bedroom before a voice stopped him.

 

**-come-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay. felt a little uninspired and down this weekend for various reasons.  
> i hope you guys like this one.
> 
> don't forget you can follow me on twitter and tumblr - dragonbornette on both platforms. <3 i could use more ffxv friends.


	12. How it Turns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone is horny again.  
> except ignis, who has a secret.  
> they reach hammerhead.

When his alarm went off the next morning, Prompto was immediately awake and turning to wake up Noctis. The prince groaned at all the movement and swiped at Prompto’s hands.

“Prom, it’s not a roadtrip,” he muttered, turning onto his other side until he was stopped by the blond climbing onto his lap.

“No, but even Gladio said we need to make the best of it,” Prompto protested, wiggling where he sat until Noctis cracked an eye open to look up at his boyfriend.

“We’re not going anywhere exciting,” the prince reminded. “We’re going to freaking _Hammerhead_.”

Prompto responded by wiggling some more. “So?” he countered as his movements became more focused, more sensual. His breath was a little heavier, gaze lidded as he watched Noctis below him. “We’re going together, Noct.”

“Only you could make it…” Noctis started to say until a roll of Prompto’s hips took the words out of his mouth. He licked his lips and swallowed before he tried again. “Only you could make something like this sound fun…”

Prompto would’ve been concerned he was actually upsetting Noctis, if not for the smile on the prince’s lips. He stole a kiss and sat up, the covers pooling around his waist as he lifted himself up on his knees to pull off his boxers.

“We have time for this, right?”

“We’re gonna make time, Prom.”

 

By the time Noctis was pushing inside of Prompto atop him, there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Gladio. The blond locked eyes with the bodyguard as he seated himself on Noctis’s cock, a blush on his cheeks that matched the one blossoming on Gladio’s.

“Oh, uh, shit…sorry.” He began to pull the door shut but Prompto whined out Gladio’s name as Noctis thrust up into him.

“Don’t go.”

Torn between staying and leaving, Gladio gave in and stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind him as Noctis and Prompto began moving. They were a sight to behold, all lithe limbs and pale bodies, who knew each other so well, it was practically an art form now.

“Let’s not leave him out, Prom,” Noctis breathed as he moved into the blond atop him. “Why not show him how good you are with your mouth?”

Prompto immediately perked up, pleasured by Noctis’s thrusts, but not enough to stop him from curling a finger at Gladio. He climbed off the prince’s lap to get on his hands and knees, facing Gladio as he approached the bed. Noctis got into position behind him, pushing back inside with a pleased sigh as Prompto reached with one hand to start undoing Gladio’s belt.

“Shit…” Gladio breathed, licking his dry lips as he watched the scene unfolding before him. This was the sort of thing someone could only _dream_ about. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, they were trying to distract themselves from what they were facing today, and who was he to stop them?

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he gasped when a hand wrapped around his cock and pulled him out of his pants. Amber eyes snapped down to meet Prompto’s violet-blues just as the blond took him into his mouth. He slipped into that wet warmth with such ease, stunned to see just how far Prompto took him in, hands anchoring themselves in the younger man’s hair and gripping tight.

The sensation to thrust into that mouth was overwhelming, but Gladio fought it with everything he had. He watched himself disappear between swollen lips, then glanced up to watch Noctis thrusting inside before he met the intense blue eyes of the prince in front of him. He didn’t expect Noctis to let go of Prompto with one hand, grab him by the shirt, and yank him into a brief, but intense kiss.

Cock twitching with arousal, Gladio couldn’t help the noise forced out his throat when Prompto swallowed around him. It was all too much in the best way – the mouth around him, the sound of skin slapping skin, the sight of Prompto and Noctis – everything. Gladio usually prided himself on his stamina, especially when it came to sex, but he knew he was in for a quick finish, especially when Prompto pulled back and looked up at him.

“I know you want to,” he breathed, voice strained as his eyes fluttered from a firm thrust by Noctis. Prompto licked his lips and took Gladio back into his mouth before the bodyguard had a chance to respond, deepthroating him once more as Gladio let out a strangled cry of pleasure. He fought to keep his thrusts gentle, giving in to the urge to have his way with that beautiful mouth.

The beauty of their orgasms came in a wave. Noctis was the first to reach his as he thrust in deep with a moan of Prompto’s name, hips jerking until he was spent atop the blond. The deep thrust struck that spot within Prompto just right and the blond cried out around the thickness of Gladio in his mouth as he came untouched for the first time in a while. The sensation of Prompto moaning around him followed by a skilled swallow pulled Gladio’s violent orgasm from him as his hands clenched those blond locks while he pushed in deep.

Prompto took it like a champ, swallowed more than Gladio expected before he pulled himself free of that delicious warmth with reluctance. But Prompto practically climbed up his body to kiss Gladio affectionately, deeply so the other man could taste himself, as Noctis pulled out to collapse on the bed, quite happily as he eyed the bodyguard.

“Better get used to this, buddy.”

 

* * *

 

Ignis was finishing up placing their things in the trunk of the _Regalia_ when Gladio finally appeared from within the apartment. He looked…content and Ignis had to lift an eyebrow when he realized the implications of such a look.

“What took you so long?” he braved to ask as Gladio blushed.

“Uh, promise you won’t get mad?”

Ignis crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow.

“Oh, come on, Iggy, you know how they are!” Gladio protested.

“Gladio, you know that I could not care less about that sort of thing, but we have little time to waste.”

Gladio frowned at Ignis’s tone, knowing the other man was right, but being unable to shake the suspicion that something was wrong with him. “Iggy, you okay?” he asked, reaching to turn that chiseled face towards his own. “You seem upset.”

Ignis met Gladio’s worried expression and stepped forward to wrap his arms around the other man. He couldn’t tell him, he’d been forbidden to discuss his audience with Bahamut and it was killing him.

“I am simply worried, Gladio, that’s all.”

Gladio pulled back and stared at Ignis, unconvinced by those words. “You don’t get worried, Iggy,” he replied. “Not like this.”

Ignis met Gladio’s gaze before he looked down with a soft shake of his head. “We’ve fallen for them,” he reminded after a moment. “There are feelings involved now.” He closed his eyes. “Things change.”

Gladio’s frown returned, but this time it was because he agreed. He knew they’d changed things by giving into their feelings. He wanted to believe things were meant to turn out this way, wanted to believe there was nothing further they could’ve done to prepare Noctis.

He wanted to believe their interference would not cost the prince his life. That the world wouldn’t be plunged into darkness solely because their hearts had been stolen by the two they’d pledged to protect.

A couple of shouts from the building interrupted their moment and both Gladio and Ignis turned to look as Prompto and Noctis emerged with the rest of their things. Both had smiles on their faces as if the situation they faced today was not a dire one, but the roadtrip Ignis had been trying to insist it was not.

The angel sighed in defeat as Gladio looked to him with a soft smile on his face. “If you can’t beat ‘em, Iggy…”

“…Join them, Gladio.”

The two smiled and pulled apart as Prompto and Noctis reached them. They loaded up the bags before Ignis reached into the trunk to pull out the packages King Regis had gifted them with the previous day.

“Your father requested that we wait to open these,” Ignis explained as he handed each of them one of the packages. “They are gifts, meant to help us on our journey. We are to open them together.”

Gladio lifted an eyebrow as Noctis looked at Ignis in surprise. The look on the prince’s face said he knew what the gifts were, and when he opened his box, there was a soft explosion of blue as a sword took form before him. He recognized the weapon, but still couldn’t contain his awe as the others opened their gifts to reveal a weapon for each of them.

These were all royal gifts, royal weapons Regis had bestowed upon them each to aid in their upcoming battle, and Noctis almost couldn’t hide his emotion in time as he ducked his head and took hold of the sword.

Even Ignis was stunned by the daggers hovering before him, sharing a stunned look with Gladio, whose greatsword took up an obscene amount of room.

But Prompto closed his hand around the handle of his gun and brought it close, feeling more touched and honored than any of them – well, at least to him. He wasn’t an angel, he wasn’t a prince, he wasn’t a Crownsguard, but the King had entrusted him with a gift, a weapon. When he looked up, Noctis was watching him, as if he knew what Prompto was feeling and the two embraced with soft sniffles escaping from between them.

Smiling, Ignis collected the boxes and put them in the trunk, then placed the daggers in the Armiger and waited for the others to do the same.

“Shall we depart for Hammerhead?”

All eyes went to Noctis, who took a deep breath and then nodded. “I’m ready.”

 

* * *

 

The ride out of the city was uneventful for the most part. As soon as they passed the Wall, it began raining again and the mood soured. Gladio found himself staring out the window as they drove, eyeing dark patches in the distance that he couldn’t identify. Were they just shadows or Daemons?

Or was it nothing?

Prompto took a few pictures, but grew tired of it since they were confined within the _Regalia_ and the rain made it hard to take pictures of anything outside. Ignis wasn’t much for talking, and Noctis found himself dozing in the backseat. They were riding to fulfill a prophecy and he couldn’t help taking a nap.

Gladio pulled out a book and decided to read when Noctis slumped against him. Smiling, he shifted to put his arm around the prince and went back to his book before he heard the snap of Prompto’s camera and lifted an eyebrow at the guilty blond.

 

About an hour passed before Gladio thought to look up, surprised at the dismal landscape he was met with. “Damn, this really _is_ the middle of nowhere,” he commented as he leaned forward, much to Noctis’s protest. He glanced down at the prince and leaned back so the younger man could get comfortable against him again.

This time when Gladio looked up, he found Ignis watching him in the rearview mirror, but instead of smiling, Ignis looked away. Gladio frowned at that, unsure of what to make of his lover’s behavior. He knew the other man wasn’t jealous, so what was wrong with him? He almost looked…sad.

 

They reached Hammerhead without incident. Ignis parked the _Regalia_ and announced to his sleeping companions that they had arrived. The rain had lessened to a miserable mist as they climbed out of the car before Prompto spotted the diner and whooped.

“Dude, food!”

Ignis sighed in resignation before he nodded and gestured for them to go on ahead. “Go on without me,” he insisted, meeting Gladio’s surprised gaze. “I would rather meet with our contact and get the information we need. I will join you momentarily.”

“We’ll save you a spot, Iggy,” Noctis assured, stealing a kiss before they hurried off to the diner with Gladio in tow.

The three entered the homey diner and glanced around before taking seats at the counter. Gladio made small talk with the man on the other side while Noctis and Prompto giggled over something they found on the menu.

To his surprise, the man at the counter – Takka – had plenty of information to provide about the Daemons showing up in the area. Ignis showed up a few minutes later after meeting with Cindy in the garage, and both angels had a good idea about where they needed to investigate first.

Realizing what they were talking about, Noctis’s demeanor changed rather quickly and he put down his menu. “Do you think we’ll find him today?”

“No, actually, I don’t,” Ignis answered, surprising the others as he lifted an eyebrow. “I believe we were led out here intentionally.” He met Noctis’s gaze and sighed. “I expect he will be watching us, studying us. But I do not believe he will show himself until he has what he’s looking for.”

“Well, then, what are we doin’ out here?” Gladio asked in reply. “I mean, followin’ the King’s orders is one thing, but if this is a trap…”

“Those were not my words, Gladio,” Ignis reminded softly but sharply. He met those amber eyes for a moment and then looked to Noctis again. “If anything, fighting the daemons out here and keeping these areas safe will only serve to prepare us for whatever he has in store. Are you ready?”

Noctis frowned, expression sullen but he took a breath and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then, let us eat,” Ignis suggested, turning to pick up his menu. “Gather our strength and we will head out when we finish.” He eyes looked over the choices of dishes listed before him and he tilted his head. “Interesting.”

“What?” Prompto asked, looking at the menu as if he’d see something too.

“Oh, nothing important,” Ignis assured. “But this dish gives me an idea for a new recipe.”

 

They set out a little over an hour later, heading north per the information both Takka and Cindy had provided. It was still early in the afternoon and their likeliness to run into Daemons was low, but if anything, they would find evidence that Daemons had been in the area.

Noctis practiced his warp-striking along the way until he wore himself out and Gladio had to carry him for a while, much to Ignis’s aggravation. But even Prompto and Noctis noticed the change in the adviser’s behavior, although none of them really knew how to address it. Gladio had already tried and been assured nothing was wrong, but it worried him more than anything to know something was bothering Ignis, his eternal partner, who wouldn’t tell him what that thing was.

When they reached their destination, the evidence was clear. Black stains littered the ground, killing the trees and local wildlife where the scourge left its mark. The air felt and smelled foul, even with the mist trying to wash it all away. It stretched further north up over the next hill and out of sight.

The sight brought them all to a halt and even Noctis made Gladio put him down so he could get a closer look. The sight of the scourge made this all real and he felt his hands clench into fists in anger.

“How do we stop this?”

Ignis drew up behind the prince. “By killing the Accursed,” he answered in a quiet voice.

“So what do we do, wait?” Prompto asked anxiously from off to the side, fidgeting as he looked around.

“Looks like there’s a haven over there,” Gladio said as he pointed towards something in the distance. They all turned to see the telltale smoke sign but Noctis groaned in protest.

“Can’t we go back to Hammerhead?”

“And make the trek back twice?” Ignis countered with a soft scoff and shake of his head. “Not a chance, darling. The haven it is.”

With one last look at the scourge-stained land behind them, Noctis followed his friends to the haven, whining once about having to camp. But one look from Ignis had him quieting as they reached the safe place and set up camp.

Gladio had the tents ready in no time even with Noctis’s ‘help’. Prompto assisted Ignis with the rest of their supplies and grinned with pride when Ignis thanked him.

To kill time, Gladio and Ignis ran drills with the prince and Prompto, practicing what they’d covered so far in their lessons and trying to use what little time they had to prepare Noctis for his destiny. It was hard not to worry, hard not to think they’d wasted too much time, but in the end, it was futile to think on it any more than they already had.

The two angels also showed Noctis and Prompto a couple of techniques to finish off enemies together, and both youths seemed eager to try those out for real. If anything, Noctis and Prompto soaked up everything they were taught, but implementing would prove to be something else.

 

It was getting dark by the time Ignis started supper and just as they sat down to eat, a shrill shriek pierced the night air. All four men froze where they sat before Ignis and Gladio rose to their feet and stared out into the darkness.

“Aw man, right when we’re ready to eat dinner!” Prompto protested, as if missing the seriousness of the situation.

“I’d say finish eatin’, but do any of you really want to?” Gladio asked as his eyes searched the night for any sign of movement.

“Let’s go,” Noctis spoke up, surprising his companions as they all looked at him.

“But Noct, what if he’s here?” Prompto whispered from his side, but the prince shook his head.

“We aren’t going to find him sitting here and waiting,” Noctis reminded quietly, setting his plate down and rising to his feet. He looked at Ignis and nodded. “Let’s go.”

The shriek sounded again, closer this time and together, the four men left the safety of the haven to head out into the night and face the Daemons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I expect this series to end at around fifteen chapters. I won't draw things out too much, but I don't want them to come to an abrupt halt either. :)  
> i wanted to borrow some things from the game to make things more familiar, but that's probably about as much as i'll do before going back to more original ideas <3
> 
> i hope you enjoy and thank you for all your support.


	13. How it Falls Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the first battle occurs.  
> a mysterious player enters the arena.  
> and it all comes to a head with ignis.

The ambush was instant. Shadows poured from the darkness into the light coming from their camp the instant the four stepped from the safety of their haven.

“Noct, fly!”

Ignis’s command was sharp and cut through the prince’s fear far easier than he expected. Without hesitation, he summoned a sword to his hand from the Armiger and warped to the nearest high point he could find. His heart was racing as he looked down to watch the sight below him – Daemons pouring from the shadows like an unseen dam had broken to release them.

Gladio barreled through the onslaught like a freight train, greatsword swinging with expert skill as he passed through. Ignis was far nimbler, flinging his daggers and felling Daemons left and right without need for a second blow. His aim was as deadly as the look in his eyes.

Prompto hung back by the haven, nervously lifting his gun as he tried to find a target. Noctis couldn’t leave his friend there to try and navigate this fight on his own. Even if it broke the protocol they set in place, he was going to help.

Warping back to Prompto’s side, Noctis touched his shoulder and met the blond’s frightened gaze. “We got this,” he encouraged, stealing a kiss before turning to look at the wave of Daemons. Fear rose within him, of course it would, but watching Ignis and Gladio fight with such ferocity inspired him in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

He wanted to be like _them_.

The first shot Prompto fired startled Noctis and he looked at the blond in surprise. Prompto let out a breath and then smiled, a look in his eye that matched how Noctis felt and the sense of comradery begin to grow. He was terrified, yes; facing death, most definitely; but somehow, Noctis couldn’t help the feeling that all this was _right_.

Was it the fact that he was finally accepting his destiny? Was it because he was finally doing what he was meant to be doing? He couldn’t imagine going back to a normal life after this. Not that he wanted to be fighting Daemons for the rest of his life, but… He felt fulfilled.

Shaking himself free of his thoughts, Noctis saw Gladio and Ignis struggling to hold back the Daemons surging forward. Without hesitation, Noctis threw his sword into the mix and warped after it. He struck a Daemon clean through the head, surprising Gladio but Ignis watched with pride blazing in his eyes.

Noctis warped past Gladio, but did not miss the high-five the bodyguard set him up for. There was something harmonious about the way the battle progressed after that. Ignis and Gladio held the front lines more or less, while Prompto stayed in the back and picked off the stray Daemons finding alternate ways past the angels. Noctis warped in and out and thinned the numbers until, as a team, they successfully defeated the horde.

Stunned, Noctis released his weapon back into the Armiger and sank to his knees. The adrenaline was still pumping wildly throughout his body, but he was starting to come down from the high of the battle and realized how lucky they’d gotten.

“Dude!” Prompto exclaimed, running to his boyfriend’s side and falling to his knees beside him.

“I’m okay,” Noctis reassured as Ignis and Gladio approached in concern. “Just…” He shook his head in disbelief. “…I can’t believe we did it.”

“You did exceptionally well, Noctis,” Ignis said as he reached the prince and dropped to one knee before him. He reached forward with one hand and gently grasped Noctis’s chin, checking him for any injuries before touching his face affectionately. “We could not have asked for better from you.”

“And you, Chocobo,” Gladio added, reaching to ruffle the blond’s hair. “Nice shootin’.”

Prompto turned red and ducked his head bashfully, but didn’t fight the hand in his hair too much.

“We had good teachers,” Noctis replied with a tired smile as he met Ignis’s gaze before looking up at Gladio. “It was terrifying, but… I remembered almost everything you taught me.”

“It seems we have good students,” Ignis said with another smile before he rose to his feet and studied their surroundings. “We seem to have cleared them here for now.”

“So now what?” Noctis asked as he was helped to his feet by Prompto.

“I’m afraid I am not sure,” the angel replied as he turned back to the prince. “We can linger here to see if they return, or return to Hammerhead in the morning to ask where else they have been spotted.”

Noctis frowned at their options. Something didn’t feel right about either one, but what choice did they have? They didn’t know who they were looking for or where to find them, so they were basically left with biding their time until the Accursed found _them_. And as much as he wanted to sleep in a bed and _not_ camp, trekking back to Hammerhead at this time of the night was not in their best interests.

“Let’s give it one more day here,” he finally gave in with a sigh. “If no Daemons show, back to Hammerhead.”

Ignis bowed slightly in reply. “As you wish,” he responded before turning to head back up into the safety of the haven and find a way to salvage their dinner.

The others followed with weary glances over their shoulders before collapsing into their chairs, the exhaustion catching up with them now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Noctis watched as Ignis patiently collected their plates and brought them back to where he’d prepared them, and then got up to go the adviser’s side.

“Need any help?” he asked, receiving a look of surprise from the other man.

“You do recall I enjoy cooking, mm?”

“That’s not an answer,” Noctis retorted, stepping closer as he glanced up at Ignis.

The angel turned to regard the prince for a long moment, tilting his head curiously as if he wanted to say no but couldn’t bring himself to. He eventually nodded and sighed as he turned back to the plates. “It looks like we’ll have to throw away what I prepared earlier,” he lamented.

“We can make something simple to save time,” Noctis suggested. “I’m sure it’ll be just as good.”

Ignis offered a smile, but he couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes as he moved to dispose of their wasted food.

“Iggy, what’s wrong?”

The angel stiffened at the question before silently berating himself for being so obvious. He was much better at hiding his emotions and tells than that, but a part of him knew. Even if he’d been forbidden to discuss the details of what Bahamut had commanded, a part of him was dying inside to confide in someone. He glanced over his shoulder toward Gladio, only to find the big man passed out in his chair with Prompto now in his lap in much the same state.

Sighing, Ignis looked back at Noctis and smiled that sad smile again. “I cannot discuss it, Noctis,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Noctis frowned. It hurt to hear the grief in Ignis’s tone, hurt to know Ignis couldn’t talk about it for whatever reason. It hurt him, and it frightened him. He worried what it meant, what Ignis could possibly be keeping from him that would make him this sad.

Nodding after a moment, Noctis turned to leave, thinking it best that Ignis be alone and that sticking around might upset the other man more, but he stopped. There were only a handful of things Ignis would be this upset about.

Did he know how this would end? Would he have to leave?

The thought terrified Noctis more than the battle against the Daemons did, but he turned back to the angel, understanding that their time could be running out and he might not even know it.

“…Um, Iggy, this might not be the best thing to say right now, but…” The young prince took a breath as Ignis turned to him. “I..” He faltered and swallowed hard before he steeled himself and looked up. “You should know that I, um…” He winced and reached up to bring Ignis into a kiss. “…Iloveyou.”

He didn’t expect Ignis to latch onto him as if letting go meant losing him. He didn’t expect the angel to shudder. He didn’t expect Ignis to _cry_.

“Iggy…”

Ignis wept in Noctis’s arms for several minutes while the prince held him, but neither spoke and neither noticed Gladio watching from where he sat.

 

* * *

 

When morning came, the mood was awkward. It was raining again, which didn’t help matters at all. Prompto was the only one who seemed unaware anything was wrong, but Noctis couldn’t bring himself to meet Ignis’s gaze and Gladio seemed to be upset about something no one knew about.

With the rain coming down hard outside, Ignis was unable to cook them breakfast and their supplies left little options for what they could eat. It also meant that they couldn’t exactly trek back to Hammerhead with the weather being what it was, so they sat confined in the tents while the mood among them steadily worsened.

Noctis was lost in thought, unable to tear himself away from replaying the events of the previous night in his head. Ignis only wept and never spoke, never reciprocated the words the prince had confessed to him, and Noctis was torn between worry and disappointment. It had to be related, or else Ignis would’ve said _something_ , but he couldn’t help feeling…hurt by the silence and the tears.

But Gladio’s eyes refused to leave Ignis until the other man reluctantly met his gaze. _Stop it, Gladio_.

Gladio’s eyebrow immediately shot up. _Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong or what_?

Ignis’s response was to look away at first, infuriating Gladio until those emerald eyes found him again. _Do you trust me_?

Gladio didn’t know how to respond to that. Of course he did and Ignis damn well knew it. His expression said as much and Ignis offered him a sad smile in reply.

_Then, whatever happens, please. Trust me._

“Hello in there!”

All four men froze where they sat, exchanging confused glances as they processed what to do.

“I say,” the voice called again. “Is anyone in there?”

Gladio tore his gaze from Ignis and stalked towards the tent flap, reaching to unzip it before Ignis hissed in warning.

“Gladio, what are you doing?”

The big guy responded by unzipping the entrance to the tent and sticking his head out before he immediately ducked back in. “Uh, yeah, there’s a guy out there…”

Prompto looked from Gladio to Noctis to Ignis, fidgeting. “What do we do?” he asked. “Do we invite him in? It’s pouring outside!”

“Hello?” the voice called again.

“I’ll go,” Gladio said, stepping out of the tent before anyone could protest.

“Gladio, you bloody better—” Ignis started to say, but stopped as the flap of the tent settled back into place.

A few steps out into the pouring rain and Gladio spotted the man amongst the carnage of the Daemon battle. It was mostly just black that stained the ground, but the rain had turned it into a strange dark mush that ran in rivets down the slopes of the surrounding area. It had an eerie vein-like look to it and Gladio fought the shiver that begged to slide down his back.

It was bad enough the man stood among the black sea like it didn’t bother him, but his look was off too. He seemed harmless at first glance, albeit a bit…odd with his wide-brimmed hat and bulky trenchcoat that resembled a burlap sack more than it did a coat, yet held an elegance about it that screamed royalty at the same time. Bits of a frilly shirt stuck out at his cuffs and collar, which only served to enhance the odd look, but the yellow tinge in his eyes really sold the image that something…was not quite right about this man.

Not to mention, he stood in the pouring rain soaked to the bone like it didn’t bother him one bit.

“Ah!” he exclaimed upon seeing Gladio, folding an arm across his waist and bowing extravagantly. “Just you, is it?”

Gladio crossed his arms and didn’t answer for a moment. “What do you want?”

“My my, did no one teach you manners, dear boy?” the man asked with a frown. “I was merely searching for the ones responsible for this.” He gestured dramatically around him. “I thought you might be the Daemon Hunters I seek.”

“Why’re you seekin’ Daemon Hunters?”

The man chuckled as if the answer were obvious. “Why, to reward them of course!”

“Really.”

“Really,” the man echoed, with a tinge of mockery in his voice. “I was staying in Hammerhead and posted the notice myself. They told me this morning a group of men came this way to take care of the problem. I was all too eager to see for myself.”

Gladio said nothing and the man smiled.

“Is it really just you in that big tent all by your lonesome?”

Gladio turned to head back inside the tent. “Beat it, man. Go bother someone else.” But the instant he turned, something occurred to him.

Why hadn’t the man come into the haven? Why call to them from outside its protection? In the midst of the blackness?

Turning back around, Gladio was stunned to see the man had vanished. His eyes darted everywhere to find a trace of where he’d gone, but it was like he was never there. Dread formed like a knot in his stomach as he stumbled back to the tent, soaking wet, but he met Ignis’s gaze the second he passed through the flap.

“…He’s here.”

No sooner had the words left his lips did the sound of numerous shrieks rip through the land around them. Noctis and Prompto shot to their feet in fright as Ignis inhaled deeply and went to the flap to glance outside. He barely looked for a second before releasing it to step back, shaken by what he had seen.

“…We are surrounded,” he announced quietly.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” the man shouted with a cackling laugh. “It’s rude to keep one waiting!”

“What do we do?” Prompto squeaked, clutching Noctis’s arm as he looked to Gladio, then Ignis.

Gladio seemed lost, stunned by the sudden turn of events, and Ignis looked defeated. Like the end had already come and gone and that their fate was decided.

“We fight.”

All gazes went to Noctis in surprise as he summoned a sword to his hand and looked at Ignis directly. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Iggy, but we came here to fight,” he said, surprised that he was being the voice of reason. “Don’t quit on me now.”

Ignis blinked several times before he smiled and shook his head. “Never,” he breathed, placing a hand on the prince’s arm before he glanced at Gladio and then Prompto. “Let us finish this at last.”

Noctis didn’t know if he should frown at those words or not, but decided now was not the time. Together, they stepped out from the tent and into the pouring rain only to be met with the sight of a sea of black Daemons surrounding the haven.

Prompto whimpered before he could help himself, shrinking against Gladio and shaking his head. “…W-we can’t fight this!”

Gladio and Ignis were both inclined to agree but couldn’t bring themselves to say anything, but Noctis’s gaze fell upon the man standing amidst the sea and he tensed.

“Ah!” the man exclaimed as he walked forward, the Daemons parting before him like liquid to clear his way. “And so he appears.”

“The Accursed,” Noctis replied, wiping his wet bangs from his face to properly glare at the man.

“Ardyn, if you would,” the man corrected with a mocking smile. He came to the edge of the haven and stared up at the young Lucian prince expectantly. “I believe we have business to attend to.”

“Do we?” Noctis dared to ask, still trying to figure out how they could possibly win in such a scenario and it was all he could do to buy them time.

Ardyn’s gaze hardened. “I didn’t come here to waste my time with a little brat,” he hissed, his skin turning pale and blotched with dark stains, eyes filling with black. “I have come to take what’s mine.”

He reached with one hand towards the prince, and even though there was plenty of space between them, Noctis stepped back. “I have nothing that belongs to you,” he protested, trying to hide the shake in his voice.

“Oh but you do, my dear boy,” Ardyn contested as he approached the haven, arm still reaching out. “You have my _throne_. My _future_. My _kingdom_.”

Without waiting, the Daemons surged forward, and despite the protection the haven was meant to offer, it could not withstand the sudden onslaught of the hundreds threatening its sanctuary. The ground cracked beneath them and broke the runes, and the protective enchantments vanished.

But Ignis didn’t hesitate for even a second. Immediately, he shrugged his shoulders and reached for the sky as his wings burst into view. A ray of light broke through the rain clouds and illuminated him, and Ignis caught the light in his hands before aiming it at the approaching Daemons. They vanished with shrieks of terror when touch by the divine light, evaporating into dark clouds of matter.

Gladio stared at his lover in both shock and awe, but he was not the only one, even Ardyn gave pause at the power Ignis wielded before he saw that Noctis was distracted too, and lunged for the prince. Noctis barely moved out of the way in time, warping to safety before the other man could grab him.

A cloud of darkness surrounded Ardyn’s hands as he flew after Noctis and the prince realized with dread what it was the Accursed planned for him. He knew if Ardyn touched him, he would be infected with the Scourge, and there was no coming back from that.

And he couldn’t keep running either. He had to kill Ardyn, but how?

He had to fight.

Readying himself, Noctis turned to face Ardyn where he’d last seen the other man coming from, only to find the Accursed had vanished from sight. Then a chuckle sounded from behind, and before Noctis could turn to face him, there was a blur of white and Ignis stood in his way with a dark hand fixed around his throat.

It all happened so fast that Noctis almost didn’t realize what had happened until the black began seeping throughout Ignis’s body and the angel screamed in pure agony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, I'M SO SORRY.  
> second of all, I'M SO SORRY.


	14. How it Washes Away and Becomes New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some really sad stuff happens.  
> it's over.  
> but it's not over.  
> 

“ _IGNIS_!”

Gladio’s scream tore through the sounds of shrieking Daemons as his wings burst into view. He flew at Ardyn too fast to be seen, yet the man vanished from sight before Gladio could reach him and released his grip on Ignis in the process.

For a second, Noctis was relieved Ignis was free, but realized with sudden terror that the damage had already been done. Already, the brilliant wings were fading as they turned black, curling as they decayed right before their eyes. Ignis fell into Gladio’s arms and the Daemons became a second thought as Gladio sank to his knees, cradling the other angel.

Prompto turned his back to them and fired off a few warning shots at encroaching Daemons before he glanced over his shoulder and watched the tragic scene taking place. Noctis was torn between tending to Ignis and figuring out where Ardyn had gone. Rage erupted from within him at the sight of Ignis literally fading in Gladio’s arms, and with a curse of anguish, Noctis fell to his knees. He let his sword slip back into the Armiger as he took Ignis’s hand.

The angel’s breaths came in wheezed gasps as the Scourge coursed through his body, infecting him with its vile touch. Ignis managed to open his eyes and lift his free hand to touch Gladio’s tear-stained face, but neither spoke aloud.

 _Protect him, Gladio_ …

Gladio’s expression became distraught as he stared down at Ignis. His lover, his eternal was _dying_ , and all he could think about was duty?

_You must trust me…_

Gladio lifted a hand to hold Ignis’s against his face, shaking his head. “Don’t leave me,” he said aloud, nearly choking on his words. “You _can’t_. This isn’t supposed to happen!”

But not even angels were safe from the Scourge.

Ignis’s eyes strayed over Prompto, offering the blond as reassuring a smile as he could manage before his gaze fell upon Noctis. His eyes said what his voice could not, what he couldn’t say the night before, and Noctis nodded in understanding as he managed a weak smile.

Tears finally escaped the dimming emeralds before Ignis went limp in Gladio’s arms, and the light faded from his eyes.

“Iggy?” Gladio breathed, shuddering as he shook his head. “No, no, no, no, no, _no_.” He hunched over Ignis and let out a scream that sent the leering Daemons back a few steps.

“Noct, look out!” Prompto shouted in warning, firing a shot over the prince’s shoulder just as Noctis darted out of the way.

Ardyn reeled back with a sneer at the blond, but had little time to decide on who to go after as Noctis summoned his sword back to his hand and was lunging for him with fury fueling his attack. He was torn between despair and rage, wanting desperately to mourn for Ignis, not even wanting to consider a world without him there.

It was one thing to imagine Ignis and Gladio having to go back to heaven or wherever it was they ‘lived’ once this ended, but it was another to bear the thought of never seeing Ignis ever again. It was so fresh in his mind that Noctis let out a scream of pure anguish and warped at the Accursed almost too fast for the other man to dodge.

But not fast enough.

Ardyn rolled out of the way, a tumbling mass of cloth and Scourge before he skidded to a stop just as Gladio rose to his feet and summoned his greatsword to his hand. He swung the blade and cleaved through a group of Daemons before turning to face the man struggling to his feet. Ardyn had barely stood up before Gladio’s fist connected with his jaw and sent him flying, and Noctis warped after him to stay close.

But despite his stumble and Gladio’s punch, Ardyn managed to get back in the game and vanished from sight with a cackle. Noctis whirled around in shock, rain dripping into his eyes, stinging them as he tried to locate the Accursed. Before he could, he was suddenly thrown to the ground by a Daemon slamming into his back, twisting his knee in the process as he let out a cry.

The creature didn’t get another strike in before a bullet ripped through its skull, but a form took shape atop the prince before he could get to his feet. Ardyn pinned him to the ground with a sneer of victory, his face now pale and splotched with black – even his eyes had turned completely dark. His booted foot pressed into Noctis’s chest as he leaned over, waiting until the prince struggled to breathe before he spoke.

“Foolish boy,” he drawled, lifting his hand. “Did you really think you had a chance?” He tilted his head and ‘tsk’ed in mock pity. “All those wasted years in _fear_ of me. What chance did you have with so little preparation?” He laughed as his hand darkened, the Scourge bleeding through his fingers and down beneath his cuff. “You—”

He was cut off by the freight train that was Gladio ramming into him, sending him sprawling to the ground. The rage in those amber eyes was untamable, but the angel had enough sense to offer a hand to the prince and yank him to his feet. Noctis winced in pain, but pushed it to the side – this wasn’t over yet.

Snarling, Ardyn vanished from sight and reappeared behind the two, but the rapid fire of Prompto’s gun sounded and saved them from the attack. Both Gladio and Noctis turned to see Ardyn jerk with the impact of bullets to his shoulder. He let out a roar of fury as he grabbed his arm in pain and whirled to face Prompto, forgetting himself for a brief moment.

“Why didn’t you kill him?!” Gladio shouted.

“Noctis has to!” Prompto reminded as Ardyn used his good hand to direct the nearest group of Daemons at the blond.

“ _Kill him_.”

“Prompto!”

Torn between protecting the prince and the blond, Gladio met Noctis’s gaze while Ardyn was still distracted, only to see the younger man nod at him in silent acknowledgment.

“Go.”

Bolting from the prince’s side, Gladio leapt into the air and spread his wings to cover the distance faster. He reached Prompto in seconds, wrapping his wings around them both in a protective cocoon before they fell to the ground underneath the cascade of attacking Daemons.

In the same instance, Noctis summoned every weapon within the Armiger and pulled them free in a dizzying display of blue. Sensing his mistake, Ardyn turned with a snarl just as Noctis let the weapons fly, each striking the Accursed with a sickening _thud_. The man’s cries were cut short by a final blade to his throat, and even Noctis had to look away from that.

But he kept the weapons striking until he heard the body fall to the ground.

Braving a look, Noctis watched with disgusted interest as Ardyn’s body caved in on itself and began decaying, falling apart until the blackness blew away in the storm. Another gust of wind and the Daemons followed suit, disintegrating until they were but a distant memory. The last to return to normal was the ground as the black stains faded slowly but surely, and Noctis had to drop his knees in stunned relief.

A moment passed before Gladio lifted a wing from his protective stance over Prompto and looked around cautiously. Relief settled into his face before it was quickly replaced with grief. He flew from Prompto’s side back to Ignis, unable to help himself as he took the other angel’s body into his arms and sobbed.

Prompto sat up slowly, watching the sight with tears in his own eyes before he remembered himself and looked around frantically for Noctis. He scrambled to his feet when he spotted the prince and ran to him, falling in the muddy ground beside him.

“Dude, are you okay?!”

“I’m fine,” Noctis answered quietly, numbly, even though he was in pain. He blinked a couple of times, eyes on Gladio before he turned to look at the blond. “I finally figured it out…”

“What?”

“…I finally figured this out,” Noctis repeated. “…I…I don’t think  I was ever meant to take this on by myself.” His gaze fell back on the two angels and he swallowed back his tears. “I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t have had you, or them, or…even the speck of training I got. I…I would’ve failed _everyone_. I was never meant to do this alone.”

Prompto responded by wrapping his arms tight around Noctis’s shoulders, holding the prince close as he tried not to cry.

 

When Gladio rose to his feet with Ignis still draped in his arms, both Noctis and Prompto took notice. “…Call Cor, call your dad, call…what’s her face at the garage, I don’t care,” he said in a voice not quite his own. “I have to…” He trembled and he dropped his head to hide his face. “I have to bring Iggy home.”

He shuddered. “I’m sorry.”

Without waiting for a response, Gladio spread his wings and jettisoned into the sky, leaving the prince and Prompto behind. They watched him go, stunned to be left alone, but unable to be angry either.

 

It hurt to be abandoned, it hurt to not be able to grieve, but Noctis rose to his feet with Prompto’s help. His knee hurt, his back ached, but limped back to the tents with Prompto at his side as the rain began to let up.

They stripped out of their soaking clothes and dried off before changing into something dry. Noctis found his phone and called his dad, but when the King answered, the tears came and despite the embarrassment that came with crying in front of father, Noctis couldn’t help his sobs.

Prompto gently took the phone from Noctis’s hand and managed to convey the message that the Accursed had been slain, but Gladio and Ignis were gone. They _could_ make it back to Hammerhead, but Noctis had been injured – although not severely – and…well, Noctis couldn’t exactly _drive_.

By the time the conversation was over, Cor and Nyx had already been dispatched to Hammerhead to retrieve the youths, but the King insisted on speaking to Noctis before hanging up.

His tears subsiding for a moment, Noctis took the phone from Prompto and sniffled. “Yeah?”

“…Noctis, I am proud of you, my son.”

Although those were words Noctis had been waiting to hear for a long time, he could only be reminded of how Ignis said that to him only days ago. His face twisted as he fought back sobs but let out a breath and thanked his father before ending the call.

Silence followed as the sound of rain pelting the tent slowly faded to the soft gusts of wind pushing the storm away. Prompto pulled a blanket off one of the cots and wrapped it around them both as they held each other and cried until sleep came.

And that’s how Cor and Nyx found them hours later.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**-Child, Thou has served Me well-**

 

Gladio took the "praise" with no reaction on bended knee before the Astral. Ignis rested a few feet away where he’d laid the other angel’s body, but he could no longer bear the sight of his dead companion. His gaze remained fixed upon the cloud he knelt upon, trembling with the effort of holding himself together.

 

**-the True King lives by thy Hand. the Prophecy is fulfilled. it is Finished-**

 

Gladio wanted to scream, wanted to shout, wanted to blame Bahamut for everything, but something held him back. He felt defeated, not proud. How could he be proud of anything when Ignis lay dead at his feet? How could he be happy and spend eternity _alone_? He didn’t understand, and Ignis was all that had kept him rational and calm.

He couldn’t even _die_ to join the other angel, which begged the question – what had happened to _Ignis_?

A sob finally escaped his lips and Gladio slumped in shame before the Astral.

 

**-thy Grief is ill-suited. he accomplished His Task-**

 

Gladio nearly looked up in rage, but fought the urge, fought it with the memory of Ignis at his side. How could Bahamut be so heartless? He’d prayed his heart out that night on the roof, stuck to his duties when he wanted to quit, and for what? To have Ignis die at the hands of that _trash_? He felt his restraint breaking and his anger growing, and just when he felt he would snap and unleash on the Astral, Ignis’s voice seemed to whisper in his ear:

 _…whatever happens, trust me_.

 

Gladio nearly choked on his tears as a sudden understanding dawned on him. He knew there was every possibility he was wrong, but he wiped his tears and took a breath to calm himself as he gazed up at the blade-winged god before him, remembering Ignis’s words. He remembered himself as he rose to his feet and then bowed deeply, wings spread.

“I may not always understand your commands,” he said, gritting his teeth as he tried to stay respectful and truthful, “but it was my honor to fulfill my duties to the True King.” He glanced up and his gaze fell upon Ignis once more. “…As it was Ignis’s.”

 

 **-go. Thy Reward comes in Time** -

 

Gladio’s gaze snapped up to Bahamut in confusion. Reward? What reward? What could Bahamut possibly give him that he didn’t already have? The only thing Gladio wanted was Ignis, and Prompto, and Noctis. Together again.

What had become of those two? Were they safe? Did they still have memories of the angels or would Bahamut take that away too?

Wouldn’t Bahamut just tell Gladio he could go back to them instead of inundating him with more riddles? Was he wrong about what Ignis told him? Was his trust in the other angel misplaced because it was too late?

The cloud disappeared beneath his feet, but Gladio’s wings caught the air and brought him down to the ground near his hill. He looked at the tree and his heart broke to know he would never share that with Ignis again.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Gladio’s wings vanished from sight as he trudged up the hill and slumped against the tree. He slid down to the ground and let his tears come.

He cried himself to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

**-well done, my Good and Faithful servant. awaken-**

 

 

He opened his eyes as if waking from a dream. Tears blurred his vision, but did not fall. He was naked, born again, cleansed of the Scourge that had stained his body. The pain was gone, as if it had never been there.

He was whole.

Sitting up carefully, he paused to look around before he realized where he was. Bahamut loomed before him, but for the first time, there was a warmth there that Ignis had never felt before. He rose to his feet and stood before the Astral, feeling his wings appear of their own volition and spread.

“It was a test…” he breathed in realization, staring up at the Dragon King.

 

**-for both of Thee-**

 

Ignis looked around, but did not see Gladio. His heart ached with worry, but he kept himself calm. He could not tear his gaze away from Bahamut, still trying to wrap his head around the realization that he was _alive_.

 

**-His Faith in Me is waning, but His Faith in Thee is Strong-**

And Ignis understood. The night he had been summoned to Bahamut in secret, the Astral had commanded a sacrifice be made. His explanation was minimal at best, but his expectation was clear: he wanted proof of Ignis’s loyalty. Ignis was upset, he was scared, he didn’t understand why it was only being asked of him.

But he knew, he knew what his choice would be. Bahamut asked it of him, and Ignis would obey. Not blindly, not happily, but he had to have faith. He’d preached to Gladio from the minute they accepted the task of protecting Noctis – to have faith – and so he did.

And apparently, so had Gladio.

“You aren’t angry with him?” he asked.

 

**-he Fulfilled his Duty. he Heeded thy Word and Mine-**

 

By then, the tears fell down Ignis’s cheeks and he sank to his knees. He wept openly in front of the armored god standing before him, until the softness of cloth touched his body. He jerked in surprise and looked down to see himself clothed, but not in divine robes.

Bahamut had dressed him in one of his suits, his clothes while living in Insomnia.

“…What?”

 

**-the True King still needs Thee. Go-**

Ignis faltered in surprise, unable to accept what he was hearing. “…And Gladio?”

Ignis’s answer was the cloud disappearing beneath his feet, which he supposed he should have expected, but he caught himself and floated to the ground below. It felt too good to be true, but his faith had been rewarded, he had fulfilled his duties. Noctis would live to be King and the world would not plunge into an Eternal Darkness.

And they could…

His heart clenched at the thought as his feet touched the earth and he found himself before their hill, their spot. His eyes fell upon the resting figure of Gladio and he broke out into a run.

 

 

Stirring from his slumber, Gladio opened his eyes, unsure of what had woken him. His head hurt from crying, the bright sunlight made it worse, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes to try and ease the pain. When he pulled his hands away, he saw the motion of someone running to him and immediately tensed in alarm before…

“…No…”

Rising to his feet, Gladio couldn’t accept what he saw as reality, he couldn’t accept that Ignis was running to him. But those eyes met his and Gladio _knew_.

“…Ignis,” he breathed as his feet carried him forward. “… _Iggy_.” He ran until he reached Ignis and pulled the other man tight into his arms, holding so hard, but he was afraid to let go, afraid that if he did, he would lose Ignis again.

“How?” he breathed against familiar sandy hair. “I…I don’t understand, _how_?”

Ignis drew back as much as Gladio would let him, reaching to take the other man’s face into his gloved hands as he smiled and kissed him warmly, deeply, lovingly. “I will explain everything,” he said, “but Prompto and Noctis need to hear it, too.”

Blinking in surprise, Gladio felt his heart mending, felt the grief subsiding when he realized what Ignis was saying. That everything was okay, that he would understood soon.

“Gladio, let’s go _home_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had another moment of weakness and thought this chapter was terrible ❤️ Forgive me.
> 
> Please let me know if I need to update the tags appropriately. I was concerned about spoilers by using any.
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter .___.


	15. How it Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> noctis wakes up.  
> gladio and ignis return.  
> happily ever after?

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange but familiar place. It took several blinks before Noctis realized he was back in his room, but he was at the Citadel. It took even longer for him to remember everything that had happened, and it was hard to fight the tears he wanted to cry. He didn’t want to be reminded of losing both Ignis and Gladio, he didn’t want to think about the memories that battle had brought.

But it was when he moved to sit up that he saw a flurry of motion from the corner of his eye and Prompto was suddenly there to stop him. “H-hey, be careful!” he exclaimed in concern, meeting the prince’s gaze before he smiled in relief.

“I’m okay, Prom,” Noctis tried to reassure, but Prompto held him down. “They told me not to let you move too much. Your back has a nasty bruise on it, dude.”

Aware of the dull ache in his back now, Noctis felt grateful for whatever medicine they’d given him as he lifted the covers to look at his knee. He spotted the brace with a sigh and looked up at Prompto, saw those tired violet-blue eyes and reached to pull the other boy into the bed with him.

Prompto readily complied and carefully snuggled up against Noctis, not saying anything as they held each other, and both tried not to cry.

“I haven’t been out long, have I?” Noctis asked softly after a few moments had passed.

“No, about a day,” Prompto answered, tilting his head up to look at the prince. “You were kinda in and out after Cor and Nyx found us. In between the fight and not eating and your injuries, you needed the rest.”

The coincidental timing of Noctis’s stomach growling quite audibly was too much for either youth to ignore, but it was just what they needed to ease the tension and take their minds off what saddened them. They snickered and touched their foreheads together before Prompto pulled away and got off the bed.

“I’ll get you some food, dude,” he assured before he leaned back in and stole a quick kiss. “…I’m glad you’re okay, Noct.” He hesitated to leave, biting his lip. “I feel like we haven’t said it in a while because of Iggy and Gladio, but…I love you, you know?”

Noctis nodded and reached to pull Prompto back down to him. “I love you, too,” he whispered, eyes glistening. “…I loved Ignis, too. And Gladio, even if I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him. I just… _felt_ it.”

Prompto lowered his gaze. “…I didn’t get a chance to tell Gladio,” he replied. “I was afraid to.”

Noctis offered a sad smile in reply, nodding again to show he understood but he was afraid to say anything more without crying. Realizing this, Prompto kissed Noctis again and stood up once more.

“Food is on the way!” he announced cheerfully and left the room.

It was hard to think about eating because Ignis was all Noctis could think about when food came to mind. He’d never taste the other man’s cooking again, or be taken care of the way Ignis had taken care of him. He didn’t get enough time to learn the things he should’ve from the angel and the more he thought about it, the more emotional he became, and Noctis couldn’t help it.

He wept.

 

 

Prompto eventually returned with lunch, which turned out to be fish, and once Noctis finished eating, the King arrived with the doctor. Noctis was expected to make a full recovery, but bedrest was ordered for the young prince, who whined in protest. He may have learned a lot under Ignis and Gladio’s watch, but they hadn’t quite nipped that bad habit in the bud.

But his whining resulted in the doctor acquiescing to a wheelchair, which would be brought later that afternoon. Noctis was _not_ to walk for at least a couple more days. Noctis felt a _little_ guilty for complaining, but even his father had a twinkle in his eye as he left his son to get some rest.

After all, Noctis had saved them. The least they could do is give him a wheelchair.

After that, Prompto helped Noctis take a bath. They shared a sensual moment but kept things tame since Noctis’s injuries outranked their libidos. Even still, it wasn’t sex they craved right then, it was closeness, it was love. They needed comfort only intimacy could provide. Prompto gladly bathed his prince and covered him in soft kisses, caressed his bruised skin with care, and touched Noctis until he fell apart in his hands.

But Prompto wouldn’t let the prince return the favor. “Nuh-uh, buddy,” he said with a shake of his head, even though he was hard. “This was for you.”

 

They finished up in the bath, and Prompto helped Noctis get dressed. They both were pleased to discover the wheelchair had been brought, and Prompto was more than happy to take the prince to the gardens as requested. He pushed Noctis a little too fast down the hallway, but they both cackled and let something silly take their minds off the grief they still felt in their hearts.

It was all they could do.

 

* * *

 

“So, uh, how do we do this?” Gladio asked as he and Ignis stood outside the apartment door. “Do we just knock and act casual?”

Ignis couldn’t help a smile but he shook his head. “I am unsure, Gladio,” he admitted. “I cannot imagine this will be easy for them, even if it is good news.” He gave Gladio’s hand a squeeze, but did not let go, not that the other angel would let him. “I suppose it is our best option.”

Gladio lifted his hand to knock, but hesitated. “Maybe it should just be me and I can bring you in as an 'oh yeah, by the way'...”

“Gladio…”

“Alright, alright,” the big guy muttered as he knocked loudly on the door, but there was no response, no movement from inside the apartment.

It never dawned on the angels that the youths would not be in the apartment until Gladio groaned in sudden realization.

“What?” Ignis asked in concern, turning to face his lover.

“…Uh, Noctis got blindsided pretty hard by a Daemon,” Gladio recollected, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I think it injured him. They’re probably at the Citadel.” He refused to meet Ignis’s gaze as if worried the other angel would be upset,  but when a gloved hand touched his face, he looked up in surprise.

“They are _alive_ , Gladio,” Ignis reminded, knowing what the other angel was thinking. “Because of us, because of _you_.” A pang of worry still resounded within his heart at the thought of Noctis being hurt, but his words still rang true.

They left the apartment building and vanished from sight in order to spread their wings, but Ignis looked at Gladio with a soft smile. “May I let go of you to fly?” he asked softly, trying not to sound teasing.

“Can’t I just carry you?” Gladio protested with a tinge of worry in his tone.

Ignis tilted his head in thought before he slipped an arm around Gladio’s neck and nimbly hopped up into the other man’s arms. “My hero,” he whispered softly, stealing a warm kiss as Gladio unfolded his wings and lifted them into the sky.

 

The rain had cleared up from the dismal scene they’d experienced upon leaving Insomnia the other day. Everything was bright and clear and happy, it seemed. Ignis tried to see this as a good omen, even though he worried for some reason that something would go wrong. That their arrival would only upset or trouble Noctis and Prompto.

He hoped his worry was in vain.

They reached the Citadel after a few minutes and Gladio landed before the steps and set Ignis down with a shrug of his shoulders to hide his wings. They glanced around before shimmering back into plain sight, sharing a smile before they ascended the steps.

When they were stopped at the doors, Ignis bowed politely and smiled at the stunned look on the guard’s face. It seemed the news of Ignis’s death had indeed been shared, but their identities were verifies and the two angels were allowed entrance.

They weren’t halfway down the hall before Cor came walking from around the corner at a rapid pace, eyes locking on the two men as he approached.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked, neither angel expecting the anger or the questioning, but Gladio was to blame and he knew it.

But what could he say?

He wouldn’t lie, but they couldn’t just go around telling everyone the truth of their nature, could they?

The look in Cor’s eyes was enough to give Gladio his answer. The man would accept nothing less than the truth for his prince, the True King, his King’s _son_.

“Forgive me, Cor,” Gladio finally spoke, bowing before the other man. “The responsibility is mine for leaving Noctis and Prompto that way, but…” He trailed off and glanced at Ignis, who simply nodded in encouragement after glancing around to make sure they were alone.

Shrugging his shoulders, Gladio’s wings sprouted into view, but he didn’t expect Cor to merely lift an eyebrow. The man was like a statue.

“Well, that explains a lot,” the Marshal deadpanned before he turned to Ignis. “You too?”

Ignis bowed in apology and nodded. “It is a rather long explanation,” he answered, “but my death was not an act, it was as real as anything.”

Cor regarded both men for what seemed like forever before he shook his head. “He wouldn’t be alive without you, I know that much,” he finally spoke. “And he’s a changed person.” His gaze hardened as he looked at Gladio. “But pull a stunt like that again, and I’ll follow you, find you, and kick your ass.”

Gladio lifted an eyebrow. He believed Cor meant what he said. “Understood.”

Cor huffed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he turned to go back the way he’d come. The two angels watched him go before exchanging a slight smile and continuing further into the Citadel.

They hadn’t quite reached the elevator when a laugh and a shout of protest came from further down the hall and around the corner.

“Prom, slow down!” Noctis’s voice shouted, even though it sounded like he was laughing.

“No way, dude! This thing has _speed!_ ”

They came around the corner much faster than either Gladio or Ignis anticipated, turning hard as Noctis gripped the arms of the wheelchair and hung on for dear life. Prompto was laughing as he pushed the prince down the hall before they both realized they weren’t alone. The blond brought the wheelchair to a screeching halt and Noctis nearly flew out of it as a result, but his deathlike grip on the arms saved him from an embarrassing faceplant onto the floor.

His face had gone pale and even Prompto had backed up a step.

“…Iggy…”

The breathy whisper was like a shout in the dead silence of the hallway.

But Ignis found that he did not know what to do. Did he smile? Did he bow? Did he go to Noctis? His eyes fell upon the golden brace around the prince’s knee and his heart twisted in concern, but he couldn’t _move_.

Without wasting a second more, Noctis gripped the arms of the wheelchair and pushed himself out of it, much to Prompto’s delayed protest. And it was all Ignis needed to break free of the frozen grip his hesitation had on him, and run to Noctis, taking him into his arms and holding him for everything he was worth.

Gladio watched, offering a smile of apology as he looked back at Prompto and dared a tiny wave of his hand. It was all that Prompto needed to run and launch himself at the big angel, who caught the blond in his arms and kissed him.

It was a deep, relieving kiss that ended with Prompto pulling back and beating on Gladio’s shoulder. “Don’t you _ever_ leave like that again, dude!” he exclaimed half-heartedly as his fist pounding did little to affect Gladio’s solid muscle.

Noctis pulled back from the embrace to look up at Ignis, eyes wet with tears. “How?” he whispered.  “How is this real? I-is this for good? Or…do you have to leave again? J-just here to say goodbye or...”

Ignis thought to delay the prince with an assurance things would be explained, but he pressed his lips to Noctis’s in reply. “We are here to _stay_ , Your Highness.”

The hope and relief that filled Noctis’s face was instant. “No titles,” he breathed as he kissed Ignis again, clinging to him before the angel pried him back.

“Back in that wheelchair this instant, Noct,” Ignis ordered, even though he was smiling. “It is time I gave you all an explanation.”

 

They went to the gardens, got comfortable, and Ignis told them everything. He told them about Bahamut and his secret command that Ignis prove his loyalty, which turned out to be a test for both him and Gladio. Because they had succeeded, proved their faith and fulfilled the task they were sent to do, Bahamut had decided to reward them. He had heard their prayers, and dictated that Noctis still needed protection.

Insomnia was their home now, for as long as Noctis and Prompto needed them.

 

* * *

 

When the King learned of Ignis and Gladio’s return, instead of having them brought to the throne room, he went and found them in the gardens. Prompto was in Gladio’s lap by that point, but quickly sidled out as Regis approached Ignis and watched in awe as the other man rose to his feet.

“Is it true?” he asked, glancing at Gladio and then back to Ignis. “Is what Cor tells me the truth?”

Bowing in respect, Ignis shrugged his wings without hesitation and displayed them for the King as he stood upright. The older man gripped his cane and fought to stay upright, but his eyes were filled with wonder, tears, and an emotion Ignis took a moment to recognize.

It was gratitude.

Regis reached for Ignis’s hand and gripped it as he gestured for Gladio to come closer. “The gods blessed my son with your protection,” he acknowledged. “It is an honor for which I have little to give in return except a righteous rule to make them proud.” He looked from one man to the other. “Please, do me the honor of joining my Crownsguard. It is only right that you be knighted properly.” He blinked and then turned to find Prompto. “And you as well, Prompto. I know you never left Noctis's side. I know he has you to thank also.”

Prompto almost protested, feeling like he didn’t belong on the same tier as Gladio or Ignis, but he knew better than to turn this down. It was something he’d always wanted and he bowed deeply. “Of course, Your Majesty!”

Regis smiled and turned back to Gladio and Ignis expectantly and both men bowed. “ _We_ would be honored, Sire.”

Releasing Ignis’s hand, Regis touched Gladio’s shoulder. “When Cor gave his report, he told me of your abrupt departure,” he said, watching Gladio frown and bow his head in apology. “I do not hold it against you. You protected my son from the true threat that faced him, and I will forever be grateful for it.”

Stepping back, Regis smiled down at Noctis before excusing himself from the gardens and leaving the four men in silence.

“Dude…” Prompto breathed. “I’m gonna be a Crownsguard!”

“After you finish your homework, darling,” Ignis teased with a smile.

 

* * *

 

A few days passed. Noctis’s back healed, but surprisingly, his knee was still giving him trouble. It didn’t stop him from hobbling around and even Gladio opted to carry him more often than not, much to Ignis’s protest.

The three men were sworn into the Crownguard that evening and went out to celebrate. Noctis pointed it out this was technically their first date together, and Ignis huffed that they were eating someone else’s food.

The plans for tomorrow were to head back to the apartment and figure their living situation out. They needed a bigger place now that they were all together and planned to stay that way. Fortunately, the complex had an opening with a space large enough to accommodate the four of them and the move was arranged.

 

They spent their last evening in the Citadel in a tangled mess of limbs on the bed, thoroughly spent. Noctis and Ignis fell asleep together, and Gladio presumed Prompto was sleeping too as he peeled himself away and went to the balcony to enjoy the night air.

The soft padding of footsteps followed him and he smiled as Prompto appeared at his side. “Hey, you’re supposed to be asleep, Chocobo.”

“So are you,” Prompto protested as he leaned back against the balcony railing in front of Gladio. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because you’re out here instead of in there, with me,” Prompto pointed out, smiling a little.

“This is a badass view, Prom,” Gladio reminded, gesturing to the city lights beyond them, “ _and_ it feels nice out here.”

Prompto bit his lip but nodded and stood up to go back inside, but stopped and looked up at Gladio.

Sensing something the matter, Gladio looked down at the blond, eyes narrowing a little. “Hey,” he said softly, reaching to bring the younger man to him. “What’s wrong?”

“…I love you,” Prompto blurted out in reply, blushing as his fixed his gaze on the floor and Gladio drew back in surprise.

He’d only ever loved Ignis, never thought he had room for anyone in his heart but Ignis. He would never _stop_ loving Ignis. Noctis? Noctis was special to Gladio, but they had yet to build their relationship and Gladio knew it would come in time.

But Prompto… Gladio knew he would die for the blond in a way that differed from how he lived to protect Noctis. He didn’t have to think twice about it. Ignis was the only other person he’d _ever_ felt that way about, so he knew what it meant to feel the same for Prompto.

“Hey,” he said again, lifting that chin with one finger. “I love _you_.”

Scooping Prompto into his arms, Gladio shrugged his shoulders to bring out his wings and leapt off the balcony into the night. Prompto squeaked with excitement and held on tight, bringing Gladio into a loving kiss that sealed their fate. He flew over the entire city before bringing the young blond back to the balcony and making love to him again against the wall.

Gladio had never been unhappy. He had Ignis, he had his eternity, but he’d never realized something was missing until he met Prompto and Noctis. He never imagined life any other way but this.

He was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, thank you all SFM for your support. this has been my most popular fic by FAR and I'm just...super fucking touched, y'all.
> 
> second of all, there will be an epilogue. there is ONE THING I wanted to bring up that just did NOT fit in this final chapter. and y'all probably won't mind another chapter lololol ~~but i can't promise smut :/~~
> 
> lastly, i'm on twitter and tumblr as dragonbornette as well <3 i would love more FFXV friends, and i'm always on the look out for any RPers out there (let a girl know lol)


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> noctis misses something.  
> and has a suggestion.

The distant sound of waves was enough to lull Noctis into a gentle slumber, wrapped in Ignis’s arms. He was nestled between the adviser and Prompto, but the hand on his hip belonged to Gladio.

They’d taken a short vacation to Galdin Quay once Noctis was cleared for travel. His knee was still giving him trouble, but not enough to keep him from practically running to the _Regalia_ once the vacation was suggested.

And now, here they slept – completely spent and naked in a bed in an expensive resort that couldn’t have been more perfect.

 

But Noctis didn’t feel complete yet. His mind kept going back to the day of the fight, to the day he’d fulfilled the prophecy. He didn’t understand why he felt so…empty, like he didn’t have a purpose, until he realized he missed the fight. Just that one taste of warping and striking, fighting alongside his friends and lovers.

They’d finally made things official. Noctis and Prompto discussed it and asked Gladio and Ignis to be their boyfriends too. It was awkward, mainly because they didn’t know how to really _ask_ that, but of course the angels said yes.

As if that were ever in doubt.

 

Blue eyes sliding open when his thoughts brought him out of his sleep, Noctis tried not to sigh, but the slight tension in his body was enough to have Ignis stirring beside him.

“Something wrong, Noct?” he whispered, nuzzling the prince’s hair affectionately.

Tilting his head up, Noctis kissed the exposed skin of Ignis’s neck and shook his head. “Thinking,” he murmured in reply.

“Mm.” Ignis turned his head away to allow the younger man more room for those lips on his neck. “Tell me.”

“It’s stupid.”

“Not if it’s keepin’ you awake,” rumbled another voice from behind Ignis.

Noctis picked his head up to look at Gladio in surprise, rubbing his eyes as he sighed and propped himself up on one arm. “I miss the fighting.”

“Huh?”

Trying to think of how to explain, Noctis frowned when he realized he couldn’t until a hand touched his shoulder and he saw Ignis watching him.

“The Daemons?” the adviser questioned in surprise, Noctis nodding.

“We spent all that time building up to it and now it’s over, so…I was thinking about how to fix that…” He bit his lip and took a breath. “When we were in Hammerhead, the guy at the diner told Gladio about some Hunts. Someone really did post a notice for the Daemons, you know.” He fidgeted with the covers at his waist. “I was thinking…maybe we could…do that. Be Hunters.”

Ignis lifted an eyebrow and glanced briefly at Gladio. Before he could say anything, Noctis continued.

“I mean, I can still go to class, Prompto too, but I’m not gonna be king for a while…” He trailed off with a shrug. “And it would be good for us all, I think, yeah?”

Ignis looked like a proud parent who’d just been told the best news of his life, and Gladio had a smirk on his face that said much the same.

“I don’t see why not,” Ignis answered before he glanced past Noctis to Prompto’s sleeping form, “but I must insist everyone’s opinions are heard.”

“…healreadytoldme…” Prompto murmured sleepily without moving.

“And your knee?” Ignis asked curiously, slipping a hand underneath the covers to touch the sore joint.

Noctis’s eyes fluttered at the touch, but he smiled a little. “I know you can make it feel better,” he said, opening his eyes to meet Ignis’s guilty expression.

“It’s not a permanent fix, Noctis,” the angel corrected. “You will need to be careful even after I use those powers.”

Nodding to show he understood, Noctis watched as Ignis closed his eyes and covered the prince’s knee with his hand. A light emanated from under the covers but the angel’s wings stayed hidden.

Noctis felt a warmth surround his knee before it radiated outward and upward. He gasped softly as the pain in his knee subsided to a dull distant ache, his whole body responding with a resounding wave of relief. It felt amazing, euphoric, heavenly, and Noctis had to reach down and grasp Ignis’s hand before that touch did more for him than Prompto’s mouth.

“Holy _Six_ ,” he breathed, panting as Ignis gave him a look that made him blush. “Sorry.”

Ignis smiled, but let his hand slide up Noctis’s leg sensually as he locked his gaze with the prince’s. “A body should heal on its own when it can,” he reminded softly, pressing his lips to Noctis’s. “So, when we start this hunting business, do be careful, darling.”

“Always.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, folks. Thanks for everything <3 All your support, comments, and love <3
> 
> Please hit me up on Tumblr with any prompts! I would love to write more fics, especially ones that you really have an eye for :) I'm on Twitter, too <3 Dragonbornette both places. Don't be shy, I'd love to meet new FFXV friends :)
> 
> I'm gonna miss this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think :)  
> Comments are life.
> 
> -
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/dragonbornette) | [tumblr](https://dragonbornette.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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